Hi there!
I’m a violinist in pursuit of a bachelors performance degree at the Butler School of Music in Austin, Texas. I love practice methodology and I’m always trying to make my practice time more efficient. I’m also a big advocate for the mental health of musicians. I know first hand how tough it can be to battle mental illness while constantly prepping for concert cycles. My hope is that I can cultivate the blog space on this website to provide a toolbox for anxious musicians or even just to show more to the world than just my on-stage persona!
Apart from violin, I also love reading and drawing. You’ll be able to find some of my book recommendations on my blog page. Most of my art tends to be centered around plants. I’ve actually gotten into the hobby of drawing tattoos for friends and family!
The violin has been at my side since I was seven. Together, we have had many opportunities to play in masterclasses and ensembles in places from Carnegie Hall to the Estates Theater. I have been lucky enough to participate in masterclasses with phenomenal violinists including Augustin Hadelich, Rachel Barton Pine, and Yumi Hwang-Williams. My undergraduate years have been amazing and I’ve gotten more opportunities to play than ever before. It was through Butler School of Music that I learned about my love for opera, which is where I plan to take my career post-graduate school. I have also gotten to play with the band Indigo Starbeam where I get to rock out on electric violin. Through my friends and mentors I’ve been playing in jazz concerts, open mics, free jams, and selected to lead multiple chamber ensembles for the choral department at BSOM. It’s been a wild ride, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Professional bio:
Oliver is a violin performance major at the University of Texas at Austin. Butler School of Music, studying with Brian Lewis and previously, Dr. Andrew Smith at the Suzuki School of Music in Westport, Connecticut. He has performed with many ensembles recently including the University of Texas at Austin's University and Symphony Orchestra, the Central Texas Medical Orchestra, Indigo Starbeam and the Pulsar Collective, Trio di Cuore, as well as various chamber ensembles for the University of Texas Choir Ensembles. He is currently prepping for his graduate school auditions and is hoping to move back Northeast where he grew up. After his studies he plans to pursue a career in orchestral opera performance while continuing his session gigging endeavors. He currently works at Terra Nova Violins in sales and marketing.