Karel Abo – Violin & Viola
Background:
Native of Michigan, Karel Abo, performs regularly with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Abo currently serves as Associate Concertmaster with the Midland Symphony Orchestra. An avid performer, Ms. Abo also plays with the Lansing Symphony, the Flint Symphony, West Michigan Symphony, and other symphony orchestras throughout the United States. Ms. Abo is a member of the Emerald Isle String Quartet and cofounder of the Emerald Isle String Haven. As an active recitalist and chamber musician she is frequently invited as a guest artist at faculty recitals, concerts, and music conferences at universities and colleges. Besides an active performer in the U.S., Ms. Abo has performed throughout Canada, Europe, and Asia, including prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and St. Luke's Cathedral. As a violin teacher, Ms. Abo maintained a private violin studio in East Lansing, Michigan and was on the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Many of her private students have been accepted into prestigious music schools such as University of Michigan and Cleveland Institute of Music and have gone on to become successful music educators and performers. Karel frequently works with local and regional middle and high school orchestras, running sectionals, chamber music coachings, and string clinics. Ms. Abo received her bachelor’s degree in violin performance at Michigan State University. Her primary teachers have been Robert Dan and Andrew Jennings.
Associations:
Charleston Symphony Orchestra member
Suzuki Association of the Americas teacher Certification
Violinist for Palmetto Strings
Lauren Williams – Violin & Viola
Background:
Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Lauren began her formal music training at the age of 7 with piano lessons. She made the switch over to violin three years later after hearing one of her best childhood friends perform a recital.
She began violin and viola studies with Nancy Feiner and Professor Oscar Ravina of the New York Philharmonic. She attended the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC where she continued her studies with Lee-Chin Siow and Jan-Marie Joyce, Principal Violist of the Charleston Symphony. She has participated in summer festivals such as the Rockland Summer Institute for Orchestral and Chamber Studies, Amati Music Festival, and Piccolo Spoleto’s Young Artist Series.
Mrs. Williams earned her BA in Music from the College of Charleston and has been performing for weddings, and teaching violin since 2002. In 2003, she attended the Suzuki Institute at Furman University where she received her Suzuki teaching certification. She has participated and and received her Suzuki training under Joanne Bath of East Carolina University and has been a registered Suzuki teacher since 2005. She continues to teach and perform full-time in the Charleston area.
Qualifications:
BA in Music, College of Charleston
Teaching since 2006
Suzuki Association of the Americas teacher certification
Active performer in the Charleston area
Associations:
Suzuki Association of the Americas, member
Lead Violinist for the Palmetto Strings Wedding Ensembles
Mike Williams – Violin / Fiddle
Background:
Michael was born in a musical family, his father being a classical guitarist,mother a classical pianist, and older brother a classical and jazz pianist. Michael first began to play the piano at the age of seven then took up the violin at age 9. Continuing private instruction from members of the Charleston Symphony, he entered Charleston’s School of the Arts and while he was there he attended the South Carolina All-State Orchestra each year for 5 years, being 5th in the state and 1st in the Region Orchestra. He performs at the Charleston Grill (www.charlestongrill.com) and has been one of the core performers there since 2001. He continued his violin studies at the College of Charleston – classical under Lee-Chin Siow and jazz under David Heywood, and graduated in Music Performance on the violin. He performs for weddings around the Charleston area as the principle violinist for the Palmetto Strings. He has been teaching in Charleston & Mount Pleasant and has a passion for teaching music / violin and wants to show how rewarding it can be.
Qualifications
BA in Music, College of Charleston
Teaching since 2007
Active performer in the Charleston area (see below in “Associations”)
Associations
Manager of the Palmetto Strings Wedding Ensembles
In-house Musician for 5-star Resort Hotel, the Sanctuary at Kiawah | www.kiawahresort.com
In-house Musician, Charleston Grill | www.charlestongrill.com
Bob Williams – Guitar, Bass & Drums
Background:
Bob Williams has been a performer and educator for over 30 years. After receiving a bachelor of music degree from Methodist University he participated in master classes with Michael Lorimer, a student of Segovia. He has developed classical guitar programs at two colleges in North Carolina and has written two method books which have sold over 4000 copies. Besides performing classical works with chamber groups and the symphonic setting, he has arranged scores of popular arrangements for the classical guitar. These pieces can be heard at the Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island and the Charleston Grill in Charleston Place Hotel downtown where he performs weekly. Many of Bob’s students have gone on to major in classical guitar at various colleges and schools of music as well as attend the Governor’s School guitar program in North and South Carolina. You may also read about his Modern Method Book for Guitar. Bob has knowledge and for beginning to intermediate bass and drums.
Qualifications:
BA in Music
35 years teaching experience
Band Director for 8 years
Active performer for Saxophone & Guitar
Associations:
In-House Musician – Charleston Grill & Jasmine Porch restaurants
Principle Guitarist for the Palmetto Strings