Ashley Sorensen

Ashley Sorensen is a violin teacher and mother of three wonderful and very energetic children. She has an extensive background in the Suzuki method including teacher training with Allen Lieb, Carrie Reuning-Hummel, Judy Offman, and Mimi Zweig. Her teachers have included Ronda Cole, James Stern, Michael Tseitlin, Igor Gruppman, Monte Belknap, Eugene Gratovich, and Nathan Cole, offering a rich and unique pedagogical foundation.

In addition to teaching, Ashley enjoys chamber, orchestral, and solo performance. Her solo debut was at age 7 performing the first movement of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor. At age 14, Ashley was invited to be a guest soloist with the New River Valley Symphony performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Ashley’s orchestral experience began at age 10, but the highlight of her youth symphony experience was her time as a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra where she had the opportunity to be coached by members of the San Francisco Symphony. Her time there also sparked an interest in conducting, as Michael Tilson Thomas and Alasdair Neale would consistently explain their conducting priorities. She also had the incredible opportunity to be concertmaster for eight of the orchestras she performed with during her pre-professional years. Ashley has performed throughout Europe, the United States, and in parts of Africa, recorded with the LA East orchestra, and performed as guest concertmaster with the Nebo Philharmonic for performances of “Scheherazade”.

Ashley also enjoys conducting when the opportunity arises and had the honor to conduct the Women’s Chorus at the Chopin Conservatory of Music in the beautiful island of Mauritius, as well as a church orchestra and choir in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Soon after beginning her professional career, Ashley was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and subsequently with chronic lung disease and was forced to pause all work on the violin. With treatment, she is now slowly beginning to play and teach again.

As she rebuilds her strength, she stays engaged with music through singing and performs with the Houston Symphony Chorus. This offers an opportunity to collaborate with great musicians and to keep her musicianship sharp.

Ashley has a BM and MM in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from Brigham Young University. She currently teaches privately in Katy, Texas.