Bio: 

Rachael Elizabeth Kistler began her violin studies at the age of two in Hickory, NC with Suzuki teacher, Paula Zimmerman.  At eight years of age, Rachael began her studies outside of the Suzuki method with North Carolina Symphony Concertmaster, Brian Reagin.  Miss Kistler has also studied with Jacques Israelievitch, Xiaoqing Yu, Almita Vamos, and has participated in numerous masterclasses with artists and teachers such as Evan Wilson, Aaron Berofsky, Vivian Hornik-Weilerstein, Charles Castleman, and Ilya Kaler.  While at the Cleveland Institute, Rachael studied with David Updegraff and participated in chamber-music coachings with Peter Saliff and the Cavani Quartet.  Miss Kistler has attended the Chautauqua Music Festival as a full-scholarship recipient for three summers, and made her professional debut with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra as a winner of the Symphony's concerto competition in 2005.  She is currently the Assistant Concertmaster of the Western Piedmont Symphony, a member of the Asheville and Greenville Symphony Orchestras, and is the newly-appointed violinist of Asheville-based Absurdist, Gypsy, Folk, Funk, Punk band, Sirius B.  Rachael currently resides in West Asheville and enjoys reading, cooking, hiking with her two dogs, Rocky and Buckley, and is the Adoption Coordinator for Pyrenees Rescue of WNC, an Asheville-based Great Pyrenees rescue.  

Lessons with Rachael:  Rachael enjoys teaching all ages, and inspires creativity and a desire for knowledge by including a bit of history, rhythm, and theory into each of her lessons.  Whether teaching staples of the classical repertoire or diving into Celtic or Irish tunes, Rachael makes each lesson fun, rewarding, and encourages the musician in you to thrive!