Liesl Schoenberger

Liesl Schoenberger is currently an Artist Diploma Candidate in violin performance, studying with Ani Kavafian at Yale University. Before coming to Yale, Liesl received her Bachelor and Masters of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with Mauricio Fuks. Prior to her college years at Indiana University, she was a student of Mimi Zweig at the Indiana University String Academy. During her pre-college years, she was semi-finalist and winner of several competitions including the Missouri String Teacher’s Association Competition, Blount-Young Competition, National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artists Competition, Paducah Symphony and Mississippi Symphony Young Artist Competitions. In 2006, she was winner of the St. Louis University City and Belleville Symphony Young Artist Competitions. Most recently, she gave a recital in St. Louis sponsored by the Artist Presentation Society of St. Louis as a prize for winning a solo competition. She was also asked to make a guest appearance in November of 2007 at the new River Campus’ Bedell Hall in Cape Girardeau, MO where she performed the Barber Violin Concerto and Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra. Other solo performances include appearances in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and with the Paducah, Mississippi, Kirkwood, Southeast Missouri State, Belleville and St. Louis University City Symphonies. In the summer of 2006, she had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall with notable musicians Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall as a participant in Edgar Meyer's innovative workshop "Porous Borders of Music"

Though classically trained since the age of 2 ½, Liesl considers herself a “cross-over” musician having explored various genres of fiddling since the age of 9. Starting out in her hometown of Cape Girardeau, MO, she entered local Bluegrass and Texas Style Fiddling Contests across the Midwest and is currently the four time winner of the Indiana State Governor’s Cup. As a college freshman, she was one of four national winners of the American String Teachers Association Alternative Styles Competition. In April of 2000, she was asked to perform with Mike Snider at the Grand ‘Ole Opry. Just recently, she elated to have the chance to work with the “Shoe Band’ on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keilor. With the help of Buddy Spicher, she recorded two albums in Nashville, TN and most recently released her third recording entitled, Say Old Man.

Performers