GSO String Academy
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra String Academy is an orchestral string program offered to Title I partner Elementary Schools and provides instruction, instruments, and materials to participating students. Private lessons provide opportunities for one-on-one, specialized instruction on the student’s chosen instrument. Our current partner schools are Alexander Elementary School, Leda Young, Principal and Sue Cleveland Elementary School, Karen Chambers, Principal.
The program is offered to students in grades 3, 4, and 5. The Academy also provides trips to selected GSO events, such as Holiday at Peace and our Masterworks Concert series. There are no fees associated with the String Academy for participating students.
Instruction is currently offered on violin, viola, cello and double bass. Here are just a few ways the String Academy made an impact at Alexander Elementary School last year:
- 85% of the Academy's students perform in the top five percent of their class
- 86% of the Academy's students increased their standardized test scores
- 66% of the Academys students maintain all A's, all year long.
Meet The String Academy Faculty:
- Lisa Ackerman has been teaching strings for the past fifteen years in both the public and private sectors. Her public school experience is with the South Carolina school districts of Laurens 55 and Greenville County, as well as with Greenville County’s Explore the Arts summer program. Her performance accomplishments include the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Foothills Philharmonic, Saroya String Quartet, Connecticut Chamber Ensemble, and the Hartt Early Music Ensemble. She received her BA in Production Studies in the Performing Arts from Clemson University in Clemson, SC. She also completed four years of conservatory training for applied violin and viola studies as well as Kodaly training at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT.
- Nancy Molleson holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music in Education (violin) from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She retired from the School District of Greenville County after teaching Instrumental Strings for 31 years and played violin and viola with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra for 33 years. She currently teaches violin and viola privately and is the founder and manager of the Jasmine String Quartet. Ms. Molleson is violinist in residence at Christ Church Episcopal and performs with the Praise Band and the Contemporary Ensemble.