Nathan Givens has a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from Portland State University where he studied with Carol Sindell, violinist for the Floristan Trio. Mr. Givens was also a violist in the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Mr. Givens is currently involved in chamber music with both violin and viola. He taught Elementary Orchestra for the Lake Oswego School District from 1999 - 2002. Mr. Givens currently teaches in the Strings Program for the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. Mr. Givens is the Orchestra Director for the Wood Middle School and Wilsonville High School Orchestras. Mr. Givens is also the Orchestra Director for Alliance Charter Academy.
Lori Givens has a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Indiana University School of Music where she studied with Allen DeVeritch, former principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Rainer Moog, former principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic. Currently involved in chamber music with both the violin and viola, Mrs. Givens has performed professionally with the Richmond Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, Columbus Pro Musica, Columbus Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, and Bloomington Pops Orchestra.
Jonathan Cheskin is a professional cellist and cello teacher living in Portland, OR. He holds an M.M. in Cello Performance from the University of Idaho, a Ph. D. in Music History from the University of Chicago, and an Oregon K-12 public school teaching credential. Mr. Cheskin is a member of the Vancouver Symphony in Vancouver, WA, and has performed with the Washington-Idaho Symphony in Pullman, WA, the Portland Columbia Symphony in Portland, OR, the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra in Woodstock, NY, the Greater Newburgh Symphony in Newburgh, NY, and the Prometheus Symphony in Berkeley, CA. He served as conductor of the Hyde Park Youth Symphony in Chicago, and as Teacher Coordinator of the Palouse Suzuki Strings in Pullman, WA. He is a certified Suzuki Cello Instructor and is on faculty at the Idaho Suzuki Institute. Mr. Cheskin currently teaches at the Portland Community Music Center in Southeast Portland, the Alliance Charter Academy in Oregon City, OR, and at his private studio in Southeast Portland.
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