Mr. Michael I. Winer

Originally from central Connecticut, violinist Mike Winer currently lives in the Bay Area of California and teaches strings for the Lammersville USD and Mountain House Suzuki Strings, both in Mountain House, CA. He also maintains an extensive private teaching studio and freelance playing career.Originally from central Connecticut, violinist Mike Winer currently teaches strings in Mountain House, CA while maintaining an extensive private teaching studio and freelance playing career.

Mr. Winer’s principal teachers have included violinists Julian Ross in Cleveland, Eric Rosenblith in Boston, and Ben Sayevich in Kansas City. In addition, Mr. Winer has studied composition with Howard Frazin and Loris Chobanian, conducting with Dwight Oltman, and his violin pedagogy is heavily influenced from working with Eric Rosenblith, Carrie Reuning-Hummel, and his parents, who are both educators and musicians. Mr. Winer has performed with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Scottish BBC Orchestra and served as the Concertmaster of the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2022.

In the last few seasons, some of the more interesting performances have been recitals with pianist Andrew King throughout Connecticut, concerts with the Westfarms quartet at the Leroy Anderson House in Woodbury, CT, and performances with the TUNDI Wagner Festival in Brattleboro, VT. He has also been fortunate to perform as an orchestral soloist, most recently playing Vaughn Williams “The Lark Ascending” and the Bach Double Violin Concerto with both the FVSO and the Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra, and of course with colleague and fellow quartet member, Selah Kwak.

As an educator, Mr. Winer served as strings specialist with the Glastonbury Public Schools (Glastonbury, CT) for over 10 years. He is also in demand as a guest teacher and clinician. During the summers, Mr Winer is a faculty member with the Farmington Summer Suzuki Academy (Farmington, CT), where he teaches lessons, conducts orchestra, and coaches chamber music. Very active with the Connecticut Music Educators Association, Mr. Winer has previously chaired the Connecticut All-State Orchestra, served as High School and Middle School Strings Head Judge, and co-chaired both High School and Middle School Audition Repertoire. Mr. Winer served as President for the Connecticut Chapter of the American String Teachers’ Association from 2020-2023, and he remains on the Board of Directors as Past-President. He is also fortunate to serve as an advisor to Midori and her Orchestral Residency Program.

In addition to his day-to-day teaching, Mr. Winer coaches with Amador Valley High School (Pleasanton, CA) and Livermore High School (Livermore, CA), and teaches for the Golden State Youth Orchestra (Palo Alto, CA). He continues to be involved with ASTA at both the state and national levels, and is a substitute musician with area orchestras.urrently residing in the Bay Area of northern California, Mr. Winer teaches beginning strings with the Lammersville USD (Mountain House, CA), Mountain House Suzuki Strings (Mountain House, CA), coaches with Amador Valley High School (Pleasanton, CA) and Livermore High School (Livermore, CA), and teaches for the Golden State Youth Orchestra (Palo Alto, CA). Mr. Winer continues to be involved with ASTA at both the state and national levels. In addition, Mr. Winer is a substitute musician with area orchestras.

Outside of playing, Mr. Winer spends much of his time attending the opera, cooking, and eating fresh vegetables from his nano-farm.