Elisa Wicks, baroque violin

PHB’s Artistic Director, Elisa brings a deep passion for early music to the stage. She has worked and studied with many of the great baroque violinists of our day including Rachel Podger, Cynthia Roberts, Carla Moore, and Julie Andrijeski; she has received coachings from Jeannette Sorrell, Marilyn McDonald, Ross Duffin, and Mimi Mitchell. Elisa has performed with Chatham Baroque, the Bach and the Baroque Orchestra, the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, the Case Western Reserve University Baroque Orchestra (concertmaster), and the Pittsburgh Baroque Ensemble (co-concertmaster). On modern violin, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where her principal instructors were Linda Cerone and and Stephen Rose, along with Michelle George and Teri Einfeldt from whom she received her full Suzuki teacher certification. Elisa formally served as concertmaster and soloist for the Butler County Symphony and as principal second violinist for the Academy Chamber Orchestra, both in the Pittsburgh area. In addition, she performed with the Wheeling Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, and the Westmoreland Symphony. Currently, she serves as principal second violinist in the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs and is frequently asked to perform with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and other groups throughout the Pikes Peak region. Elisa’s baroque violin was made in 2011 by Thomas Mace of Louisville, Kentucky and patterned after the instruments of Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), who was Stradivari’s teacher.