String Summer Camp

Technique Classes

Posture, tone production, right and left hand technique.

String Ensembles

Chamber orchestra sessions, with a performance at the end of the week.

String Sectionals

Students will work with faculty on orchestral and chamber music by instrument and section

Masterclasses

 Campers have the opportunity to perform solo pieces and work one on one with faculty.

Music Electives

Students can choose one elective according to their interests such as Beginning Conducting, and more!

Final Performance

As a culmination of our work together, campers will participate in a performance on the final day that showcases what they have learned throughout the week.

Dr. Catalina Barraza

Dr. Catalina Barraza has extensive experience as a professional violinist, orchestral conductor, and pedagogue. Dr. Barraza's performance and pedagogical background encompass the United States, Chile, Israel, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia, including orchestras such as Jackson Symphony Orchestra in Michigan, the World Orchestra, and the Colombia National Symphony Orchestra and many other ensembles. As an orchestral conductor, Dr. Barraza has led the Mason Youth Philharmonic Conductor in the mid-Michigan area, New Horizons chapter in East Lansing, Michigan, as well as guest conductor for Cambrian Symphony. In past summers, Dr. Barraza has been a violin faculty and orchestra conductor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. An active pedagogue, Dr. Barraza is passionate about bringing music to students from diverse backgrounds. She is a regular coach for Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, San Jose Youth
Symphony, and San Jose Youth Chamber Orchestra. She has served as a lead violin teacher in the Overture program at the Sphinx Organization and taught in Jackson Community Music
School. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Violin/Viola at San José State University, California. Dr. Barraza is the string area coordinator at San Jose State University. She
is also the director of SJSU Summer String Institute, and she serves in the advisory board of the California Orchestra Directors Association.

Bruce Moyer

Professor Bruce Moyer serves as the bass teacher and the Coordinator of the Strings Program. He started his career at age thirteen with a rock and roll band in Philadelphia. After a few years with a Jazz combo, he began to study Classical Music on the double bass at Temple University with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and went on to receive a Master's degree in performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Upon graduation, he became Principal Bassist of the Portland Maine Symphony before coming to California to accept positions with the Sacramento Symphony, the San José Symphony, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. In addition, he has freelanced with all of the major Bay Area performing organizations, including the symphony, ballet, and opera orchestras of San Francisco. Currently, he is a member of Symphony Silicon Valley, the Carmel Bach Festival, and is Principal Bass of the Monterey Symphony. In addition to performing, Professor Moyer strongly believes in the importance of music education in society and is a faculty member at Santa Clara and Stanford Universities as well. He maintains one of the largest private studios in California and has many students that have gone on to study at prestigious institutions and pursue professional careers in the field.

Dr. James Lin

Dr. James Lin, cellist, moved to the bay area to join the associate faculty of West Valley College Music Department in the fall of 2008. He has become one of the most well-established cello teachers in the South Bay, with students of all ages and abilities participating in orchestral, chamber and solo performances throughout the Bay Area. His students have also won prizes at various local, nationwide and international competitions. Dr. Lin is a highly sought-after adjudicator and clinician for various competitions and elite music programs in N. California. Dr Lin has orchestral experience with Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony Orchestra, New Haven Symphony, Modesto Symphony, Fresno Symphony, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, I Musici de Montreal. Orchestral, Solo and Chamber performances have taken him throughout North America and Europe. His performances have ranged widely from performing with members of the Emerson String Quartet to sharing stage with Jazz legend Arturo Sandoval to international concerts and recordings with The Yale Cellos. Dr Lin has received fellowships to participate at Banff, Orford, Musicorda, Spoleto, and Norfolk festivals. He has received degrees from SUNY-Stony Brook, UW-Madison and Yale University. His mentors are Uri Vardi, Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot and Colin Carr.

Thomas Alexander

Thomas Alexander started the violin at the age of four after he was captivated by the magic and splendor of The Nutcracker. He began studying through the Suzuki Method shortly thereafter and has been playing violin ever since. He pursued advanced studies, receiving his BS degree in violin performance from UC San Diego. Over three decades in the Bay Area, he has played with many community and professional orchestras near and around San Francisco. He spent 15 years working with the San Francisco Civic Symphony Association of San Francisco, playing concertmaster in multiple groups, and creating the ensembles “Mozart to Mendelssohn,” “Civic Strings,” and “Civic Pops.” He started impromptuSF, dedicated to the pursuit of making live

music enjoyable for both musicians and audience members. He has been teaching adults for over 20 years and began working with youth through the Cambrian Symphony in ’14 and in earnest in ’22 with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra.

Carolyn Shannon - String Assistant

Carolyn is passionate about nurturing students and guiding them to their full musical potential.  She began Suzuki violin lessons with Katy Green in Idaho. In school, Carolyn played with the Caldwell orchestras where she discovered her love of chamber music.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in applied violin from Northwest Nazarene University, studying with Jennifer Drake and Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, performing with the Meridian Symphony and coaching chamber ensembles.