An opera singer, violinist and pianist hailing from Minnesota, Ms. Esther is a multi-talented musician who brings a passion for teaching to all of her students. She began taking piano and violin lessons at the age of six, and during those younger years performed in many competitions and masterclasses across the state. During her time as both a violinist and pianist, she attended the BRAVO! Institute for Strings and Piano in Minneapolis, MN.  There, she participated in masterclasses and chamber groups, studying with some of the best musicians in the country and performing as both a pianist and violinist.  As a young pianist, she studied with Alexander Braginsky and Tanya Spector.  She later graduated with honors, earning a BM Violin Performance degree from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with renowned pedagogue Sally O’Reilly.  As part of her degree, Ms. Esther performed on numerous recitals, was an avid chamber musician, and also performed the regional premiere of “Ladder to the Moon” by Michael Daugherty, garnering much acclaim from the composer.

After finishing her degree in violin performance, Ms. Esther decided to continue her musical studies as an opera singer.  Hailed as singing in “…pure tones, with vivacious humor” for her portrayal of the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, she has performed in many training programs across the United State and Europe, honing her skills as a singer. Known as a compelling performer both on the operatic stage as well as in concert, recent highlights include performing an art song recital as a guest artist at Carnegie Mellon University and performing in Dialogues des Carmélites while a young artist at the Savannah Music Festival.  Other highlights include making her debut as Yvette in Puccini’s La Rondine at the Miami Music Festival, and performing as a featured artist at the Opera Naples Academy.  Previous seasons include Sister 1 in Jake Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking (MMF), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Twin Cities Fringe Opera), Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos (Twin Cities Fringe Opera), and covering Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Miami Music Festival). In addition to this, she has also trained as a Young Artist at SongFest in Los Angeles, and been awarded an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Council Auditions. 

As a teacher, Ms. Esther believes in providing an encouraging environment to all her students. She focuses on creating an individualized lesson for each student, helping them develop a solid technical foundation as well as an overall appreciation for music.  She believes the more a student understands music and how to approach new material, the more they will enjoy the process of learning. This, in turn, helps the student stay motivated and build confidence, regardless of their level.