Violin & Viola Faculty
Renata Norcia
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As a native of Berkeley, Renata took violin and viola lessons from Edmund Weingart and chamber music with Anne Crowden. She loved all-day chamber music on Saturdays and Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra on Sundays and taught piano a couple of years from home. It was highly inspirational, motivating, and exciting to be surrounded by such passionate musicians in the Bay Area that like many of them she wound up also going to NY.
After studying with Rafael Bronstein (a student of Leopold Auer) at Manhattan School of Music receiving a Bachelor's degree, she freelanced while studying and later played on Broadway with jobs/tours in Fl, VA, and CT and did some substitute teaching as well. Renata then moved to Amsterdam and from there toured the world for 3 years with Heidelberger and Köln chamber orchestras. Later freelanced in orchestras all over Holland. She then moved to Stockholm and played in almost all the Swedish orchestras, while living there also freelanced in Norway then moved to Oslo. In Norway, Renata continued freelancing but mainly began teaching violin and viola again(a little piano too) at Vestby and Hobøl Cultural schools for 21 years and has finally moved back to the Bay Area. Renata loves motivating her students of all ages, watching them grow both musically and as individuals, bringing out their creativity and expression. She believes that they can apply the same discipline learned playing combined with their passion to other aspects of their lives as well. |
Narain Darakananda
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A native of San Francisco, Narain Darakananda began his violin studies at age 7 with LynnOakley at the Villa Sinfonia Foundation. Though he enjoyed performing, Narain soon discovered that his true passion was teaching. He began teaching violin privately at age 14 and began coaching string quartets at age 16. Some of his students went on to play in CODA All-State Orchestras and at the San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory Division.
He would go on to receive his BA in music and psychology at Bard College where he studied privately with Erica Kiesewetter. At Bard, he became concertmaster of the Bard College Community Orchestra and the Bard College Baroque Ensemble. He was also a member of the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, once performing as principle second violin. In 2020 he was also a member of the Bard Philharmonic, touring with Tan Dun to China. During his undergraduate years he attended Roundtop Festival (2018) as well as Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival (2020) where he received masterclasses from Tomas Cotik and Lucie Roberts. Pursuing his passion for teaching, he also attended the Starling-DeLay Violin Symposium in 2019. Narain is now in San Francisco, pursuing his masters in violin performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music studying with Kay Stern. He is excited to start his performance and teaching careers here in the Bay Area. When he is not teaching, practicing, or performing, Narain enjoys quiet time at home cooking with his fiancée and their cat. |
Barbara Schaefer
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Barbara began Suzuki violin lessons at the age of five at her local elementary school and decided soon after that music would be her life’s passion. A native Texan, Barbara holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
As a professional orchestral musician, she performs actively with many Bay Area ensembles and is a member of the Fresno Philharmonic and the Santa Rosa Symphony. Barbara began her pedagogy studies with Mimi Zweig and Brenda Brenner at the Indiana University String Academy. While at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she also studied the Paul Rolland method, the Orff Approach, and Alexander technique. Barbara received her registered Suzuki training from David Strom and Ann Montzka Smelser. Barbara fosters a collaborative approach, where the student is involved in the learning process and is able to become self aware and independent in their practicing and performing. Her teaching philosophy is to develop a solid technical foundation through a well-balanced body, with fluid movements to create ease of playing without tension. An avid baker, she enjoys sharing her scones, cakes, and other creations with friends and family. |
Kourosh Ghamsari-Esfahani
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Kourosh is an Iranian-Canadian composer-violinist, now based in San Francisco. He started playing the violin over 20 years ago in a public school strings program, and now holds a Bachelor of Music from Wilfrid Laurier University in Performance and Composition, and a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts from Simon Fraser University. He has presented at festivals and artist residencies across North America and internationally, including: The Brush Creek Arts Residency in Wyoming, the Arteles International Creative Residency in Finland, and the Montreal Contemporary Music Lab. He found and led the Breathing Bass Ensemble, which was in-residence at Simon Fraser University from 2019-2020. The ensemble continues to work on creative, multi-media shows and is one of Kourosh's passions.
As a teacher, he firmly believes that learning to play music should be a meaningful and empowering experience – no matter your age, background, or experience level. In addition to teaching classical violin, he strives to center repertoire that is exciting and inspiring for students. His violin lessons can include instruction in composition and improvisation, so that students can develop the skills needed to fully and freely express themselves. |