Bach Suite No. 2
Fishing on the Sound in 2020.
King Salmon from Westport
Bach Suite No. 2
Kathryn Kibbe
Goes by: Miss Kat, Kat or Kathryn
Kathryn Kibbe is a very bright musician, always eager to learn new things and also eager to teach. Kathryn started playing the violin when she was 9 years old and eventually switched to the viola at age 13. After a year or so playing the viola in her youth symphony, she made the official switch to the viola as her primary instrument.
Kathryn received her Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from Central Washington University in 2015 where she studied with Timothy Betts. She then went on to complete her Master's Degree in Viola Performance at Bowling Green State University in 2018 under the tutelage of Matthew McBride-Daline.
Through her private lessons, Kathryn gives her students advice on how to practice efficiently and effectively, how to play without pain, how to address pain during practice, as well as how to have a fun time while practicing. Taking lessons with Kathryn isn't just about learning to play the violin or viola. Students will obtain skills in time management, perseverance, responsibility, taking initiative, preparedness, and respect.
Currently, Kathryn enjoys taking on both violin and viola students of all ages, beginning level through advanced. When Kathryn isn't teaching or playing with different symphonies, she enjoys spending time at the gym, outside having adventures, or sitting on her couch working on a knitting project.
Stella Kosim
Goes by: Miss Stella or Stella
Stella began playing classical guitar at the age of 13. She took her first lessons at Yayasan Pendidikan Musik, a private music school in Jakarta, Indonesia. She fell in love with music and the classical guitar in large part because of the influence of her dedicated teacher, Oliver Pletscher. In her own teaching, she consistently reflects on the powerful and positive impact a teacher can have on a student because of the influence Mr. Pletscher had on her.
Stella’s students have ranged in age from 4 to 70, and she enjoys teaching students of all ages. Stella has taken Suzuki Guitar teacher training in order to better meet the needs of young students. Likewise, she has studied traditional classical guitar methods and enjoys teaching teens and adults using respected and established methods. She values an engaging teaching approach that motivates and equips students to succeed.
As a way of staying connected with musicians in her home country of Indonesia, Stella has been teaching weekly online masterclasses to young classical guitarists through the Indonesian Classical Guitarist Community (ICGC).
Stella received her bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Washington where she studied with Michael Partington. She has performed in master classes presented by the Seattle Classic Guitar Society, Northwest Guitar Festival, New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes and the Guitar Foundation of America.
In addition to music and teaching, Stella loves math, numbers, and has a degree in Business and Accounting. She also loves travelling, cooking, and walking outside with her cat, Groucho.
On the trail!
Chilling at home
Randy Chapman
Goes by: Mr. Chapman or Randy
Randy Chapman is a violinist who loves to play and loves to help students to enjoy learning and playing too. He began learning to play when he was 12 years old, and when he had been studying violin for less than two years, he auditioned for the Chicago Civic Orchestra and was accepted. He continued with the orchestra through his high school years and began studying violin at the Chicago Conservatory with George Perlman.
Randy attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and studied violin with John Kendall and Kent Perry. He performed in many recitals and played his senior recital while studying for his business degree. On the first day of classes, he walked into his first violin lesson at the university and a woman was just finishing her lesson. She later became his wife, so it was a great first lesson in many ways!
Randy has been playing with the Rainier Symphony Orchestra since moving to the Seattle area seven years ago. He is currently taking violin lessons from Ilka Talvi, retired concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony. Prior to moving here, Randy played with the Utah Symphony and several professional opera companies, and he also played for weddings, funerals and with several community orchestras.
Randy started teaching violin at Southern Illinois University and has taught students from 7 to 45 years old. The Suzuki violin method has been used for children as young as three years old, and he still considers himself a student, so it is never too early or too late to start or progress! John Kendall brought the Suzuki method of violin teaching to the United States and the method emphasizes making a beautiful sound over reading music.
During his spare time, Randy loves to camp, hike, ski and ride his motorcycle. He has two golden retrievers and they love to get out on trails and into streams and lakes. He and his wife have two children; one plays French Horn and the other is an Irish step dancer. Playing reels and jigs on violin with a dancer is a lot of fun, but it is fun without a dancer too!
Barb Chapman
Goes by: Barb, Mrs. Chapman
Barb Chapman is a violinist that started violin at 6 years old. Her mother was an artist and a violist and made sure that she started playing at an early age. Barb played in the elementary school band as she was one of a
very few violins in a school that unfortunately did not have an orchestra. As a sophomore in high school she joined the Webster Civic Symphony which she loved playing Dvorak New World Symphony, which was exciting for her. As a senior in high school, she auditioned for
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and she attended college there on full scholarship. She studied with John Kendall and played many different types of music including solo, chamber, and orchestra. Barb had the opportunity to perform two solo recitals, played West Side Story, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Carmina Burana, just to name a few. She graduated with a music performance degree.
While attending SIUE, Barb met Randy on the first week of classes on their freshman year and started dating. Barb and Randy were eventually married and have been married and playing music together for 47 years. While attending the college, they both took classes with John Kendall on how to teach Suzuki Method of Violin. Mr. Kendall started a program at SIUE and had been to Japan to study with Mr. Suzuki.
While living in the St. Louis area, Barb played in the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. She played professionally at Six Flags over Mid America, Opera Theater of St. Louis, and Municipal Opera Company of St. Louis. In the
Salt Lake City Area she played in Cinderella, Music Man, and Fiddler on the Roof. Barb also got to play one concert of the Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony with the Utah Symphony.
Barb is currently in her seventh year of playing in the Rainier Symphony. When she is not playing or teaching, she enjoys camping, hiking, and playing with their two golden retrievers.
