Emerald Isle String Haven

Violin Faculty: A brilliant and engaging violinist, Takeshi Abo’s playing has been praised by critics as "Angelic" and "Breathtakingly beautiful.” He regularly performs throughout the United States and Japan.  An active orchestral violinist, Abo has performed as Concertmaster with many orchestras, and currently holds that position with both the Alma and Midland Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Abo is Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Alma College in Michigan. He has served as Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Central Michigan University, and has taught at Albion College, Interlochen Arts Camp and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Along with teaching at collegiate institutions, Abo maintains a private studio where he educates violinists of the next generation. His students have been accepted at Indiana University, New York University, De Paul University, Brigham Young University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, among others. Dr. Abo earned his bachelor's degree at Kyoto City University of Arts in Japan and his master's and doctorate at Michigan State University.  He has studied with Yuji Tougi, Yukiko Igarashi, Yuko Iwatani, Mari Nishizono, Misako Kameda, Joseph Fuchs, and Robert Dan.

Violin Faculty: Diana Dyer Anderson has a Bachelor of Violin Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where her primary teachers were David Cerone and Bernard Goldschmidt of the Cleveland Orchestra. Following her degree program, Anderson earned a position as Core Violinist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held for 37 seasons. In addition to performing with the Toledo Symphony, Anderson is a founding teacher at Toledo School for the Arts, where she is Director of String Orchestras, as well as teaching Chamber Music, Mariachi, and two levels of guitar. Anderson was fortunate to be raised in a home full of string musicians and learned to love string chamber music from a very young age by rehearsing and performing with family. Diana Anderson hopes to continue to foster the love of chamber music through the significant relationships it can create. Diana Anderson lives in Sylvania, OH with her husband, violist Reed Anderson.

Viola Faculty: Reed Anderson became a Core Member of the Viola Section in the Toledo Symphony in the Fall of 1988, previously serving as Principal Viola with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, in Wheeling, WV, and Asst. Principal Viola in the Shreveport Symphony, in Shreveport, LA. Reed graduated from the University of Michigan in 1984, as a viola student of Francis Bundra, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance, and also earned his Master’s Degree as a student of Donald McInnes, while attending U. of M. Reed is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied viola with David Holland. Reed maintains an active viola studio, and plays with the Toledo Symphony String Quartet, providing lecture demonstrations throughout the regional school system. The quartet also provides music for many private functions. Reed has soloed with the TSO, and is a frequent guest artist on the Toledo Blade Chamber Music Series. Reed’s personal hobbies include; traveling, hiking, camping, disc golf, and fishing for any freshwater species, with an emphasis on fly fishing, and fly tying.

Cello Faculty: Jamie Fiste is Associate Professor of Cello at Central Michigan University. An active recitalist and chamber musician, his performance engagements have taken him to Hungary, France, Spain, and Germany. An avid collaborator, Dr. Fiste currently performs in the Saarburg Music Festival in Germany and was Co-Artistic Director for the Plymouth Chamber Music Festival in Plymouth, MA from 2001-2007, where he also performed with artists of international stature. He has frequently performed in the Ashmont Hill Chamber Music Series in Boston, Massachusetts, with players from the Boston Symphony and faculty from Boston University. Dr. Fiste has also performed at the Music Festival of Arkansas and Hot Springs Music Festival and was a prizewinner in the Rolland String Competition, Cello Society Competition, the University of Illinois Undergraduate and Graduate Concerto Competitions. He was also a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra in Providence, RI. Dr. Fiste studied with Laurien Laufman and Karen Buranskas and participated in master classes with Janos Starker and Fritz Magg.