I started playing the violin when I was 5 years old in Taipei, Taiwan. At age 10, I appeared as soloist with the Taipei Symphony performing the Mozart Concerto in G Major on a national TV broadcast. I won the first prize in the National String Quartet Competition at age 17. That same year I also directed a chorus and a chamber orchestra. Both won first prize in the National Competition.
I moved to the United States to study at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut where I received my Artist Diploma, then went on to get my Master of Music degree at New England Conservatory in Boston. I graduated from both schools with honors. While still a student, I went to Waterloo Music Festival, Sarasota Festival and Aspen Music Festival on scholarship. I also won a competition to perform the first violin part with the Grammy Award winning Emerson String Quartet.
I played in Sacramento Symphony for 3 years, before winning the Associate Concert Master position of Virginia Symphony in 1993. That same year I won the 2nd Violin Principal position of the Honolulu Symphony and chose to move to Hawaii. I have also been a member of the Galliard String Quartet since 1994. Our concerts are broadcast on Hawaii Public Radio regularly.
I’ve been teaching in Honolulu for over 20 years. My students include winners of the Honolulu Symphony Concerto Competition; some are now majoring in violin performance at conservatories on the Mainland.
When I teach, I stress the principal of “teaching them how to fish instead of giving them the fish”. In this computer age, people often just “Google it” to get the answer instead of thinking things through. Because we are all built differently both physically and mentally, learning the violin is not a one size fits all kind of thing. A method that works on one person often doesn’t fit another. I try to tailor my teaching to each individual student, and most of all, teach them the principles of violin playing, including math, physics, psychology, anatomy, so they can think for themselves. The other emphasis is a solid foundation in the basic mechanism of posture. This is often ignored by teachers that are eager to get quick results.
Being an instrument enthusiast, I have studied bow rehair and repair with Lynn Haning, president of ICPC, at The College of Redwoods in CA. I service the bows of many of my colleagues in the Hawaii Symphony as well as their students. With my extensive knowledge of string instruments, I often help them with instrument maintenance as well as advising them on the purchase of a violin.
Price List for Instrument Services
Bow: Rehair – violin/viola/cello – $65
Bow: Rehair – bass – $70
Shorten hair – $15
Tip/Mammoth – violin/viola/cello – $140
Tip/Plastic – violin/viola/cello – $100
Tip Repair – $40
Thumb Grip – $25
Collar – $10
End Protector – $35
Full Leather w/Thumb Grip – $45
Winding/Silver – violin/viola – $80
Winding/Silver – cello – $85
Winding/Silver – bass – $100
Winding/Faux Whale Bone – $75
Pearl Slide – $80
Pearl Eye – $35
Eyelet – $25
Recamber – $100
Sound Post Adjustment – $40
New Sound Post – $100
Instrument Setup – $80/hr
Studio Locations
500 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI
(Corner of Kapiolani and University Avenues, 1 block from Iolani School)
Tuition Cost
$39/half-hour
$59/45-minutes
$78/one-hour