First Year String Team

Mark Mathias, double bass, studied with Lawrence Hurst at the University of Michigan obtaining a Bachelor of Music Performance degree in 1974. He also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music Education from Eastern Michigan University and has taught violin, viola, violincello, double bass, and music technology in the Jackson Public Schools for over 20 years. He attended the Interlochen Arts Academy and, in addition to membership in the Jackson Symphony Orchestra for 23 years, has performed with the Flint Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and the Toledo Symphony.

Second Year String Team

Laura began violin at age 4 at the JSO Community Music School where she studied through High School. While there she studied with Anne Fleming, Dr. Fangye Sun, and Dr. Ji Hyun Kim and was awarded the Mary Spring Into Music Scholarship. Laura has earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Violin from Baptist College of Ministry having studied with Elizabeth Zempel and Jamie Hoffman. She has performed in MSU Concert Orchestra, Kalamazoo Philharmonia, Baptist College of Ministry Chamber Strings and Orchestra, Jackson Community Strings, Mason Symphony Orchestra and multiple solo recitals. Laura has taught both private lessons and group classes and is currently a JSO CMS private instructor and String Team 2 class instructor.

First Year String Team (Northwest T/Th)

Matthew started playing violin in 1998, under the eye of Mark Mathias. He began private lessons the next year, and spent several hours at the JSO thereafter, participating in, and later co-teaching, Summer Strings. He also was a member of the Jr. Strings and JYSO. At the same time, he played in the orchestras at Parkside and Jackson High. When he was a H.S. senior, he was invited back to Parkside to guest solo with Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro. While he was in these Jr. High and High School orchestras, he always dreamed of playing on the Potter Center stage. He never dreamed that one concert would include a bat flying around the auditorium, or that Maestro would return from that concert’s intermission with a tennis racket.

First Year String Team (Northwest M/W)

Since 2019, Jed has been the Director of the Community Music School and Director of Music Education for the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. A performing bassist, Jed plays with the orchestra in addition to free-lancing throughout the area. He was a public school orchestra teacher for 34 years finishing his career for the Chelsea School District, Chelsea, Mi. Jed was Teacher of the Year for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and the Michigan American String Teachers Association in 2008. In addition to the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, his performance credits include the Michigan Opera Theater, Toledo Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Racine Symphony, Racine, Wisconsin, South Dakota Symphony, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and various festival orchestras, jazz ensembles, rock bands, polka bands since he was 15 years old.