Instrument
Linda grew up in a musical family and began violin studies in the Fairfax County Public Schools when she was 9. She heard the junior high school orchestra play for her elementary school and went home and begged her parents to buy a violin so she could play in her elementary school’s orchestra, which they did. Just recently, her parents had a locksmith unlock an old trunk where three violin cases were found, discovering, for the first time, that her paternal great-grandfather and grandparents had played the violin! She now plays the beautifully-decorated violin of her great-grandfather’s. In addition to violin, she had private lessons for 2 years on piano.
Musical Background
Linda studied privately with Nina Collins for two years and played in the Northern Virginia Youth Symphony and the Fairfax Symphony while in high school. At The College of William and Mary, she played in a string quartet coached by Janet Kriner. She has performed with the Concert Soloists of Washington and played many of the masterworks at week-long chamber music workshops at Wellesley College, as well as with Tuneful Teachers, Tri-County Express, Nouvelet, and Chesapeake Chorale. She was one of the early members of the Northern Neck Orchestra. Linda is a long-time member of the Strings and Things network, which is managed by Nina Buzby, and performs for weddings and other venues. She and Neil Smart have played together for a long time and regularly rehearse and perform for the community, for churches, and for the Rappahannock Music Study Club, of which she is a member. While teaching at Mathews High School, she helped out with the strings program there.
Additional Information
Linda earned a B.A. in Secondary Education from the College of William & Mary in 1981, M.A. in Liberal Education from St. John’s College in 1983, was a Math Teacher and Coordinator of Gifted Programs in public schools in Williamsburg, Middlesex, and Mathews Counties, and retired after 31 years in the field.
She is the pianist at Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Morattico, where she lives. She has been owner/operator of a Conference Center/Youth Hostel for 25 years, has 2 grown children and 2 granddaughters (in Richmond, Virginia, and Brussels, Belgium).
Linda’s favorite musical genres are Baroque, classical, romantic, and bluegrass.
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Other Musicians who are members of the NNO.