Violin2
Hui Lim, a native of Singapore, is a violinist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Berkeley Symphony, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, and the Associate Principal 2nd Violin with the Boise Philharmonic.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music (B.M, 2006) and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (M.M. 2008), Hui’s teachers include Koichiro Harada, Ik-Hwan Bae, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, Eliot Chapo, and Oleh Krysa. She has served as teaching assistant to Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, former 1st Assistant Principal 2nd violin of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Eliot Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic.
Previously, Hui was also a violinist with the Tallahassee Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Chamber Orchestra.
During Hui’s schooling days, she won 2nd place at the National Piano and Violin Competition in Singapore, and performed with the Asian Youth Orchestra on a 6-week concert tour.
Hui enjoys squabbling with her cat son, Snowbear, and travels to Las Vegas for Philharmonic concerts with her teddy bears. She is married to fellow LVPhilian, Tiantian Lan.
Lee Schreiber is a native of Washington State. She was introduced to the orchestra through a school field trip to the Seattle Symphony. She started studying violin through school music. Lee was granted a four year full tuition scholarship to the University of Arizona where she earned her Bachelor Music in Violin Performance. Lee continued her studies at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville to study Suzuki Pedagogy with renowned teacher John Kendal. While living in Illinois, Lee taught violin as adjunct faculty for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Southeast Missouri State University. After moving to Las Vegas, Lee was a faculty member of Nevada School of the Arts for many years and helped pilot the extension program used by Nevada School of the Arts. Lee now teaches privately in her home studio. She founded a general music program for preschool aged children called Musical Friends. Lee performs locally for area Synagogues. She is a founding member of a klezmer band called the Meshuggina Klezmorim. The band has performed for numerous citywide events such as Israeli Independence day, menorah lighting by Mayor Oscar Goodman, the Folk Life Festival and World Vibration Concert Series. Lee has had the opportunity to perform for a wide range of stars such as, Tim McGraw, Clint Black, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Eddie Fisher, Al Martino, Tony Bennett, Jerry Lewis, Elton John, and Dudley Moore, to name a few. Her favorite experience was performing for opera legends Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Lee performs chamber music for weddings and special events. She is a member of the Nevada Chamber Symphony. Lee is proud to be a member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic since the orchestra’s inception.
Lisa Ratigan, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada is an accomplished Musician on both Violin and Viola. She has seen Las Vegas grow over the years from the time there were no Orchestras in the schools to now where there are Orchestras in almost every school. Her mother, Caroll Berns-Wixom (owner of Berns Suzuki Studio) was a Professional Violinist as well as her Grandfather. She started lessons with her mother at age 12. She had already played Piano, and Flute by this time. She went on to study with Bela Urban, and then Barton Gray who was Concert Master of the Denver Symphony. She also studied with Kathleen Hamil, and Russ Cantor.
Lisa was awarded a full scholarship to Arizona State University where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance. At ASU, she studied with Dr. Phyllis Skoldberg and Dr. Frank Spinosa, on Violin as well as Dr. William Magers on Viola. While at ASU, she was also a member of the Honors quartet, and also participated in the Lyric Opera Theater for four years. She was a contracted player with the Biltmore Strings performing 2 shows nightly at the Biltmore Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was also granted a full Scholarship by audition to the Congress of Strings programs in 1978, in Seattle, Washington, and again in 1982 in Cincinnati, Ohio. While in Cinncinati, she got the opportunity to play under the baton of the esteemed James DePreist as well as got to study Violin with Zvi Zeitlin. She was awarded by audition to attend the prestigious Music Academy of the West on Viola where she got to study with Milton Thomas as well as received Chamber Music coaching with Gabor Reijto. (Her mother also studied Chamber music with Mr. Reijto when she was at USC.)
She also played with the Palace Strings on Viola, at Caesars Palace, as well as for the Andre Agassi Foundation for stars such as: Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Boys II Men, Lionel Richie, Led Zeppelin, and Gloria Estefan. She has performed in show bands for Tony Bennett, Al Martino, Smokey Robinson, Frank Sinatra Jr., Julio Iglesias, Dionne Warwick, Burt Baccarach, and Natalie Cole. She also got to play for the Billboard Awards show with Justin Timberlake on Viola. She has recorded with the Chic Band on their first CD titled Complete Me. She performs on an electric 5 string as well.
While with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, she has played for Clint Holmes, Pavarotti, Andrea Boccelli, Vanessa Williams. She also plays weddings, banquets, V.I.P. events, as well as Classical Chamber Ensembles.
Lisa teaches Violin and Viola and has several students that participate in the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras which is by audition only. Her students are encouraged to attend Violafest and the Solo and Ensemble Festival each year and have gained knowledge and performing experience by doing so. Lisa was a coach for the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras from 2007-2009. She is also a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the Las Vegas Music Teachers Association (LVMTA) and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and served a term as Secretary for the Las Vegas chapter of that organization.
Lisa has been a contracted member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic since 2002, and has been tenured since 2004. She is currently the Upper Strings Coach at Clark High School, and volunteers at several of the Middle schools that feed into Clark.
She has two beautiful daughters who are also very involved in Music as well as Cheer. One plays Violin the other plays Flute.
Lisa plays a 1764 Agustin Chappuy Violin, and a 1987 Salvatore Caristo Viola named Gabrial.
Melanie Schiemer began studying music at Nevada School of the Arts with Mary Straub in 1984. Over the next several years, Schiemer attended private and group classes at NSA and also participated in numerous Suzuki Institutes in the United States. During her time at NSA, Schiemer successfully competed in local and state competitions. In 1996, Schiemer was awarded a full fellowship to the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Institute in Washington, D.C. After graduating early from the Las Vegas Academy in 1997, Schiemer continued her music training by attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In the summer of 1999, Schiemer was made a member of the Amadeus Chamber Symphony in London. The group embarked on a European tour while featuring soloists such as Steven Iserlis. During the same year, Schiemer became a member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and now holds a tenure position in the orchestra. Schiemer has furthered her performing career as a free lance musician. She has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Palcido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Vanessa Williams, Pen and Teller, and Clint Holmes. In January 2007, Schiemer was made a full time member of the Las Vegas production of The Producers playing at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.
Soon after joining the Philharmonic, Schiemer began her Suzuki Teacher Training. She has completed training units 1A through 5 (six total) as well as several enrichment courses. Currently, Schiemer is continuing her training by further enrolling in Suzuki Training Certification courses as well as studying child psychology and early childhood development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Schiemer was as a full time teacher for the Nevada School of the Arts for over nine years and still resides as a faculty member for the annual Nevada School of the Arts’ Suzuki Institute. Melanie Schiemer participated in the creation and implementation of successful Suzuki programs at both Sunrise Acres Elementary and The Meadows School. As an extension of the program started at Sunrise Acres Elementary, Schiemer created a Suzuki Outreach Program at the Nevada School of the Arts. The program enriches the community by affording inner city youth the opportunity to study music in the Suzuki Violin Program. Beginning in the fall of 2007 Schiemer launched a full Musikgarten and Kindergarten Music program at the Midbar Kodesh Temple and Early Childhood Development Center. In the Fall of 2008, she will join The Meadows School Faculty as the Kindergarten music teacher. The Suzuki Strings at The Meadows School continues to grow and the 2008-2009 school year is expected to be the biggest year to date.
In addition to teaching and performing, Schiemer is a member of several organizations including the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Las Vegas Music Teachers Association (LVMTA), Suzuki Associations of the Americas (SAA), and Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA). For the LVMTA, Schiemer has served as the String Coordinator and has functioned as the American Federation of Music Junior Festival String Competition Chairperson. Schiemer has also successfully applied for her Level 2 certification with the ECMMA. In 2006, Schiemer has received her Musik Garten TM Qualifications and License. Most recently, Schiemer completed her level 1 Orff certification due to the generous support of The Meadows School.
Shakeh Ghoukasian is the founder of two pioneering music initiatives launched in 2021: The String Connection, a violin, viola studio for advanced students, and The String Connection Virtual Violin Festival, transformational approach to musical training for advanced students ages 15-20. Connecting world class artist teachers to the students in an intimate and engaging manner.
Shakeh is an accomplished chamber music and orchestral musician, as well as a distinguished teacher and adjudicator. For the last 13 years she was the driving force behind the Nevada School of the Arts. As NSA’s executive/artistic director through 2020, she shaped the school’s vision and launched program initiatives and community partnerships that benefited both students and Las Vegas community. She launched the school’s Jazz Initiative, modeled on the ground-breaking prototype at Lincoln Center, as well as the Musical Crossroads program, that showcases classical guest artists crossing over into Latin and Jazz genres, performing in schools throughout the Clark County School District. Her passion for film music evolved into Kids2Kids concerts performed by students for students, wildly embraced by school administrators and young audiences alike.
Shakeh received her early music training at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Music School in Armenia, a country at that time “behind the Iron Curtain.” After immigrating to the United States in 1979, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She studied with such string notables as Lori Ulanova, Haik Balian and John Kendall.
Since 1998 Shakeh has held the position of Principal 2nd Violinist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and performs with the Philharmonic’s Principals Quartet, to present educational outreach and chamber music concerts in the community. She also plays regularly in orchestras supporting ballet and opera performances, as well as in recording sessions with jazz and pop musicians. She has performed with a vast array of classical artists and celebrity entertainers, including Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Boccelli, Placido Domingo, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Itzhak Perlman and others on and off the Strip. Her solo performances include appearances with Henderson Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic.
Shakeh is an established master teacher and adjudicator. She has been invited to present master classes and workshops in Arizona, Utah, California, Idaho, South Dakota, Alaska, Oregon, New York, Washington and Las Vegas Summer Music Festival. She was a featured presenter at the American String Teachers National Conference, and is a recipient of ASTA’s Studio Teacher Award in Nevada.
She was the Founder and Program Director of the Green Valley Chamber Music Festival from 2006-2014. Her students have garnered top awards at numerous local and national competitions and have been chosen to participate in prestigious summer music festivals and camps, such as the Interlochen Summer Music Camp, Indian University Summer String Program, Tanglewood Summer Institute and National Orchestra Summer Institute. She is dedicated and passionate about working with young musicians and guiding their musical and artistic development. Many of her violin students have graduated from universities and conservatories around the country. With her as a mentor, they have become accomplished professional musicians and, most importantly, beautiful human beings.
PRINCIPAL 2ND VIOLIN OF THE LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC, CONCERT ARTIST, MASTER TEACHER, PEDAGOGOUE,
FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE NEVADA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (NSA), FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECOTR OF THE STRING CONNNECTION, Virtual Violin Festival and THE GREEN VALLEY CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
