MoASTA Award winners

Send nominations for future award winners by November 1 of each year to James Richards.

Elementary String Educator of the Year

LOREN ABRAMSON

Parkway School District

Violinist and conductor Loren Abramson has taught Instrumental Strings for 22 years at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels in the Rockwood and Parkway School Districts outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to her public school career, Ms. Abramson served as a Suzuki Violin teacher on the faculties of the St. Louis Community Music School, Tucson AZ Talent Education, and Ithaca Talent Education in New York.

Ms. Abramson holds Bachelors of Music from Ithaca College and a Master of Arts in Music Education from Lindenwood University. She studied violin and Suzuki pedagogy with Sanford Reuning and John Kendall. Additional violin studies were with Pamela Gearhart, Theodora McMillan, and Lorraine Glass-Harris of the St. Louis Symphony.

Ms. Abramson maintains a private violin studio and performs regularly with the Heritage String Quartet. She also enjoys a mentoring roll with students in the Washington University Symphony orchestra. A nationally recognized clinician, she has served as a guest teacher at many summer Suzuki Institutes (Stevens Point, Ithaca, Atlanta, Memphis, Guelph, Ontario, Pullman, Washington), and winter workshops (Syracuse NY, Cleveland Institute of Music OH, Atlanta GA, Gainesville FL).

In 2000, the Shenandoah Valley Elementary School Honors Orchestra under Ms. Abramson's direction was invited to perform at the Suzuki Association of the Americas National Conference in Cincinnati. The orchestra was invited back in 2006 to perform at the SAA Conference in Minneapolis.

Distinguished Service Award

ANN GEILER

Clayton School District

     Ann Geiler has been an active member of the Missouri chapter of ASTA since 1990. Ann has had many responsibilities regarding the All-State orchestra. She has chaperoned, judged auditions, judged seating, worked every registration; she is in charge of the All-State audition materials and takes care of the All-State CDS that are sent to the students in preparation for their audition. For many years Ann also chaired the MoASTA awards program. In addition to her ASTA endeavors Ann has been the MMEA Orchestra Vice-President and coordinated the All-Collegiate Orchestra and has served as Middle School Orchestra Vice-President, treasurer, and President of the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association. Ann is a trained adjudicator for the Solo & Small Ensemble and Large Group Festivals and travels throughout the state listening and encouraging string children with her thoughtful and insightful comments.
     Just when you thought she had no more time, Ann is a professional string educator in the School District of Clayton and a cellist with Quartet Brioso. She is the director of the Wydown Middle School Orchestras and Assistant Director of the Clayton High School Orchestras as well as the cello and bass instructor for the elementary schools. The Wydown Middle School Orchestra has performed at Tan-Tar-A for the MMEA Conference.
     All members of MoASTA are very grateful to Ann for all she has done to help teachers and students, and promote string playing. Ann's service to MoASTA and string students in the State of Missouri is incalculable.

Artist Teacher of the Year

CATHERINE LEHR

Catherine Lehr is currently Assistant Principal Cello of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she was Principal Cello with the Xalapa Symphony in Mexico and with the San Diego Symphony in the United States. She has appeared as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony many times, also with the Rochester Philharmonic, the State of Mexico Symphony, the Hamilton, Ontario, Philharmonic, and with community orchestras throughout the St. Louis bi-state region. Ms. Lehr was a member of Trio Cassatt, a string trio with whom she recorded trios by Reger and Taniev on the Laurel Record label. On the Mercury label, she recorded El Gato Triste, a work for cello and orchestra written for her by jazz musician Chuck Mangione for his album Land of Make Believe. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Ms. Lehr has regularly appeared at the Park City International Music Festival in Utah, as well as in many other chamber music venues throughout the United States and Mexico. Committed to mentoring the next generation of musicians, Ms. Lehr is on the cello and chamber music faculties of the Community Music School of Webster University in St. Louis, and the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Catherine Lehr is married to Mexican violinist Manuel Ramos, and they have three children. She performs on a cello made by Paul Jombar in Paris in 1901 and a bow by Lamy, also made in Paris.

Elementary Educator Award A member of MoASTA with NSOA with at least five years teaching experience in the state of Missouri who has taught at least a portion of their regular professional day at the elementary level and has exhibited exemplary work at this level.

Secondary Educator Award A member of MoASTA with NSOA with at least five years teaching experience in the state of Missouri who has taught at least a portion of their regular professional day at the secondary level and has

Collegiate Educator Award A member of MoASTA with NSOA with at least five years teaching experience in the state of Missouri who has taught at least a portion of their professional day at the collegiate level and has exhibited

Studio Teacher Award A member of MoASTA with NSOA with at least five years teaching experience in the state of Missouri who has made a significant contribution to the education of string students through their studio

Artist Teacher Award A performing musician who has taught in addition to their career as a performer and has made a significant contribution to the education of string students in the state of Missouri.

Distinguished Service Award An individual who has made outstanding contributions to the cause of string education in Missouri. This award may include retail music dealers, instrument repair persons, school administrators or supervisors, state music administrators, public school and college officials, composers, orchestra conductors, active or inactive music educators and others whose support of string education has been exemplary.