August 7, 2020

Dear Students and Parents:

We are moving ahead into the 2020-21 Academic Year and there are many challenges ahead. But, we know for sure that you will be receiving the best possible instruction on your violins, violas and cellos. Our online Summer Session was very successful as we heard in the final solo recitals.It is with great pleasure that we announce that Zola (better known as Zoie) Hightower will be our String Academy Associate Instructor. She will be taking over the position from Flora Nevarez who we will miss but who has embarked on her career path. Zoie was a student at the String Academy for many years (12 to be exact) where she studied with Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig. She went on to University of Michigan and over the last years has amassed many wonderful professional experiences which you can read about below. Welcome Zoie!

Just a reminder that the Fall Semester is online and you can find the registration via this link: https://music.indiana.edu/precollege/academic-year/string-academy.html (Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page.) Registration deadline is August 21, 2020

Our String Academy Blog Site will give you all the details regarding GROUPS, CALENDAR, HANDBOOK, and faculty information. Contact your private teacher to confirm your private lesson day and time.

Please contact Christina at crunnacl@indiana.edu if you have any questions.

We will see you online very soon and in the meantime, stay healthy!

Best wishes,

Mimi

Zola (“Zoie”) Hightower is a graduate of University of Michigan where she studied with Danielle Belen (violin) and Caroline Coade (viola). She was a member of the Indiana University Virtuosi for six years, studying with Mimi Zweig and Brenda Brenner, and has been a featured soloist and ensemble performer on stages and in concert halls in America, Europe, Canada and South America. She has soloed with the South Shore Orchestra, New World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Zoie has been invited to Carnegie Hall to perform on multiple occasions, both on violin and viola. At University of Michigan, she was selected as Principal Viola for the 2016–2017 season and was selected Concerto Master 2018–2019. Zoie was a finalist in the undergraduate concerto competition on viola in 2018. As a pedagogue, Zoie has been a Teaching Artist at the Aspen Music Festival Roaring Fork Valley Youth Summer Workshop, Blue Hill Youth Summer Program (through Kniesel Hall), Fairview Project in Bloomington (with Dr. Brenda Brenner), the Heartbeat Project (a free music two-week summer workshop for children K–12 of the Navajo Nation), and Center Stage Strings. She also has a thriving private studio of her own, consisting of violinists and violists ages 5–28. Her students have been accepted to and received awards from prestigious musical institutions such as Bowdoin, Illinois Chamber Music Festival, and Center Stage Strings.

WELCOMING ZOIE HIGHTOWER

August 7, 2020

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