String Teachers

To register for lessons with any of our string teachers, please click here. To inquire, please email us here. We are excited to hear from you.

 

Will Samorey - Viola/Violin
he/him

Noted for his stylistic versatility and ability to command an audience with his musical storytelling, Will Samorey began his long studies in music in Des Moines, Iowa. Will began his undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa under the tutelage of Annette-Barbara Vogel, following her to the University of Western Ontario where he graduated with a B.A. in Music with honors in Violin Performance. Other teachers include Won-Bin Yim, Yehonatan Berick, Vasile Beluska, Stacey Woolley, Jonathan Sturm, the Corigliano Quartet, and Jupiter Quartet. While at UWO, he held various positions with the school's symphony orchestra, opera, and musical productions including all principal violin positions and concertmaster.

Professionally, Will has performed in all concentrations from chamber music, to pit orchestras, community, and symphony orchestras. Currently, Will has tenure with the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra and Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, is the concertmaster of the Golden Valley Orchestra, and is a frequent substitute with symphonies across Iowa and Minnesota. Will has given solo and chamber music recitals in Des Moines and Bettendorf. He has recently performed the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto in Minneapolis with the Golden Valley Orchestra.

Will is a Suzuki Method registered violin instructor, however, he does teach in other musical methodology that is most beneficial to his students’ unique learning patterns. Likewise, he teaches patience, control, focus, and planning, with the view that quality practice is better than the quantity of practices. For kids, Will works with parents to ensure the child grows up in a musical household and has regular practice times with their family. Many students who begin violin are at an age where they are not good readers yet, so his students will learn their first book by memory. The pieces are securely learned through regular listening, weekly repetition, and a slow introduction of new skills and concepts.

For adults, Will focuses on teaching ways to refine technique and skill. Whether it is mastering a new concept or fixing a problem you have been stuck on, there is always value in improving musicality.

  • Will currently teaches violin and viola on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

  • Lessons with Will start at $33 for $30 minutes

Sophia Kaufmann - Upright and Electric Bass

she/her

Sophia Kaufmann is a Minneapolis-based upright and electric bassist from Oakland, California. Kaufmann graduated from Macalester College in 2023 with degrees in music and sociology and now teaches private lessons and workshops around the Twin Cities. She grew up playing jazz and rock around the Bay Area in the Oakland East-Side All Stars, combos at the California Jazz Conservatory, and in rock bands. Sophia participated in the Stanford Jazz Workshop for multiple summers and was awarded a full merit scholarship to attend the workshop in 2019. At Macalester, Sophia was the manager and upright bassist for the big band, Mac Jazz and she performs regularly in jazz combos around the Twin Cities. Sophia currently writes songs and plays in the rock band, Bakermiller Pink. 

Sophia has experience teaching students of all ages and experience levels. In addition to private lessons, she teaches in Walker West’s Experience Jazz Program and Women in Jazz High School Combo. Sophia is passionate about familiarizing students with multiple genres and fostering their ability to collaborate with other musicians.

  • Sophia currently teaches on Mondays and Fridays

  • Lessons with Sophia start at $60 per 1 hour lesson

Mary Alice Hutton - Violin
she/her

Mary Alice Hutton is known for her beautiful tone and her passion for the violin. As an orchestral player, she frequently performs with the Minnesota Opera and Minnesota Sinfonia and has also made several appearances with the Quad Cities Symphony, and the South Dakota Symphony. Currently, she is the Associate Concertmaster of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in several festivals including the National Repertory Orchestra, New York String Orchestra Seminar, Center Stage Strings, and the Pienza Music Festival. 

An active chamber musician, Mary Alice has won prizes at the St Paul Chamber Music Competition and First Prizes at the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and King’s Peak International Music Competition. In 2016, she was sponsored by the University of Minnesota to travel to Detmold and Leipzig, Germany to perform J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. As a recording artist, Ms. Hutton has been featured on many albums – both classical and contemporary. Most recently, she can be heard on the album Red (Taylor’s Version). She received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the University of Minnesota under the tutelage of Sally O’Reilly.

  • Mary Alice currently teaches on Mondays and Tuesdays

  • Lessons with Mary Alice start at $34 for 30 minutes

Dan Lawonn - Cello

Dan Lawonn is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with a cello performance degree and a love of pop music. He’s performed on stages ranging from First Ave to Carnegie Hall to The Late Show with David Letterman, and his cello recording credits include collaborations with Céline Dion, Taylor Swift, Belle And Sebastian, and Dessa. Dan’s compositions have appeared on both records and concert halls, including work with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony. He shows up to each performance with a lot of heart — and usually at least a cello and a guitar. You can find him performing in town with jeremy messersmith, Mason Jennings, and Keri Noble.

Dan loves teaching students to develop a lifelong love of music and learning. He brings 30+ years of cello study, 10+ years of volunteer development and coordination, and a lifetime of basement band rehearsals to each lesson, and he’s determined to guide students of all ages to discovering the joy in musical expression.

  • Dan currently teaches cello Mondays and Wednesdays

  • Lessons with Dan start at $35 for 30 minutes