Holly Schurr received a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the University of Arizona in 2001. In December of 2008, she completed her master’s degree in violin performance at the University of Arizona. Her teachers include Joan Donat, Elizabeth Adkins, Mark Rush, and former TSO concertmaster Steven Moeckel. Holly has been a member of the Tucson Symphony since 2007, and also plays with the Tucson Pops Orchestra in the summers.
Holly has traveled to Trinidad and Tobago six times to perform in the national steelband competition, “Panorama”. In those competitions, she played tenor pan with several of the 120-piece steel bands, including Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, who, in 2005, won the competition by a record-breaking 20 points. She also works closely with several arrangers in Trinidad, transcribing and publishing their Panorama tunes and original compositions. Holly was a member of the Tucson-based steelband “Apocalypso” from 1999-2007, and during those years, she helped coached several elementary school steelbands at Canyon View Elementary School.
Holly has been teaching violin and steel drums to private students since 1996. Holly was the strings instructor for Catalina Foothills Community Schools from 2004 through 2006, teaching after-school strings classes for 2nd through 5th graders. She also taught Special-Ed English and Biology for a year at Desert View High School, and currently substitute teaches in the Sunnyside School District.
In her spare time, Holly enjoys drawing with pastels, reading, traveling, and swimming.
When did you start playing the violin? I started playing at age 8, after begging my parents for years.
Why did you choose your instrument? I saw a little girl on star search playing the fiddle and I wanted to do that too.
Are you from a musical family? Everyone in my family has multiple degrees in music, and most are working as professional musicians!
Do you play any other instruments? Yes. Percussion, steel drums, and nose flute. I also used to play string bass, piano, trumpet, mellophone (in marching band), euphonium, and oboe.
What’s the best part about being a musician? The best part is that I love everything I do everyday!
If you could play a different instrument, what would it be? Trumpet
Favorite composers: Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev
What might your career be if you hadn’t chosen to be a musician? Architect or Interior Designer
Hobbies: Drawing with pastels, reading, swimming, traveling.
Hometown: I was born in Annapolis Maryland, and went to High School in Fairfax Virginia, but I consider Tucson to be home.
What are your three favorite movies? The Usual Suspects, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Primal Fear.
Recent Comments