The MASTA Teacher of the Year and Administrator of the Year honors are awarded annually by nomination and election of the entire MASTA membership.
2010 MASTA Teacher of the Year Bruce Uchimura
The 2010
Teacher of the Year for the American
String Teachers Association, Michigan
Unit, is Bruce Uchimura. The award was
presented at the MASTA General Meeting
and Luncheon held at the MMC Conference
on January 23, 2010.
Bruce J. Uchimura is Professor of Music at Western Michigan University where he conducts the University Symphony Orchestra, teaches cello, and coaches chamber ensembles. He has been Cellist of the Merling Trio for over 20 years with his wife, Pianist, Susan Wiersma-Uchimura and Violinist, Renata Artman-Knific.
He joined the faculty in the fall of 1987, having taught previously at the Augusta College Center for Creative Arts, the Augusta Country Day School, Michigan State University, and the Preparatory and Adult Education department of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is also on the faculty of the Encore School for Strings in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Uchimura received the Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music where he studied cello with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins and chamber music with Felix Galimir and the Juilliard String Quartet. He received the Master of Music degree with an Artists Diploma in Cello from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied cello with Alan Harris and chamber music with Koichiro Harada and Bernhard Goldschmidt. He has also studied at the Aspen Music Festival, the Meadowmount School of Music and the Banff School of Fine Arts, and he has held an orchestral fellowship at the Spoleto Festival.
Mr. Uchimura has performed with the Charleston Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Macon (Georgia) Symphony. He served as Principal Cellist of the Augusta (Georgia) Symphony and was the first person ever to be named Associate Conductor of that ensemble. In that capacity he developed and created a highly successful Symphonic Pops and Youth Concert Series. He has also been Principal Cellist of the Greater Lansing Symphony and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. His activities as a chamber musician include membership in the Augusta Symphony String Quartet and appearances in numerous recitals throughout the United States with the Seraphin String Quartet.
Mr. Uchimura has served on the Georgia Council for the Arts Advisory Panel for artist-initiated grants. In addition, he has adjudicated major string competitions throughout the USA including the Illinois Young Artist Competition and the ASTA Solo Competition. He has been an officer of the Michigan Cello Society, is affiliated with ASTA and MTNA, and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honor society.
Bruce J. Uchimura is Professor of Music at Western Michigan University where he conducts the University Symphony Orchestra, teaches cello, and coaches chamber ensembles. He has been Cellist of the Merling Trio for over 20 years with his wife, Pianist, Susan Wiersma-Uchimura and Violinist, Renata Artman-Knific.
He joined the faculty in the fall of 1987, having taught previously at the Augusta College Center for Creative Arts, the Augusta Country Day School, Michigan State University, and the Preparatory and Adult Education department of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is also on the faculty of the Encore School for Strings in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Uchimura received the Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music where he studied cello with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins and chamber music with Felix Galimir and the Juilliard String Quartet. He received the Master of Music degree with an Artists Diploma in Cello from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied cello with Alan Harris and chamber music with Koichiro Harada and Bernhard Goldschmidt. He has also studied at the Aspen Music Festival, the Meadowmount School of Music and the Banff School of Fine Arts, and he has held an orchestral fellowship at the Spoleto Festival.
Mr. Uchimura has performed with the Charleston Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Macon (Georgia) Symphony. He served as Principal Cellist of the Augusta (Georgia) Symphony and was the first person ever to be named Associate Conductor of that ensemble. In that capacity he developed and created a highly successful Symphonic Pops and Youth Concert Series. He has also been Principal Cellist of the Greater Lansing Symphony and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. His activities as a chamber musician include membership in the Augusta Symphony String Quartet and appearances in numerous recitals throughout the United States with the Seraphin String Quartet.
Mr. Uchimura has served on the Georgia Council for the Arts Advisory Panel for artist-initiated grants. In addition, he has adjudicated major string competitions throughout the USA including the Illinois Young Artist Competition and the ASTA Solo Competition. He has been an officer of the Michigan Cello Society, is affiliated with ASTA and MTNA, and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honor society.
MASTA
Teachers of the Year
2010 Bruce Uchimura
2009 Jed Fritzemeier
2008 Kevin Miller
2007 John Kendall
2006 Leslie Wimsatt
2005 Jan Burchman
2004 Steve Reed
2003 Judith Palac
2002 Rosemary Maloczay
2001 Marshall (Larry) Hutchinson
2000 Pat Smith
1999 Catharine DeLuca
1998 Alan MacNair
1997 Connie Dugger
1997 Bill Tennant
1996 Bob Ritsema
1995 Bob Phillips
1994 Robert Culver
1993 Jerry Bartlett
1992 Roxanne Oliver
1991 Russell Reed
1990 Geri Arnold
1989 Dan Long
1988 Yvonne Schilla
1987 Lyman Bodman
1986 Helene Bleecker
1983 Jean Manning
1982 Valerie Palmieri
1981 Martha Froseth
1980 Ann Schoelles
1979 Carolyn Tarzia
1978 Gabe Villasurda
1977 Ara Zerounian
1976 Marilyn Kesler
1975 Betty Heaton
1974 Lawrence Guenther
1973 Julius Stulberg
1972 Olive Gold Parks
1971 Mildred Bachellor
1970 Emily Austin
1969 Maurice Riley
1968 Louis Potter
1967 Elizabeth Green
1966 Robert Lint
1965 Anne Dodge
1964 Yenovk Kavafian
MASTA
Administrators of the Year
2010 no award
2009 no award
2008 Ron Mead
2007 Dr. Jerry L. Seese
2006 Dr. Wayne Vasher
2005 Roxanne DeWeerd
2004 Tom TenBrink
2003 Steve Gaynor
2002 Tom Miller
2002 Barbara Elmer
2001 Ellen Ewing
2000 R. Paul Barber
1999 Hedy Blatt
1998 James Huber
1985 Gustave Rosseels
1984 Ella Villa
2010 Bruce Uchimura
2009 Jed Fritzemeier
2008 Kevin Miller
2007 John Kendall
2006 Leslie Wimsatt
2005 Jan Burchman
2004 Steve Reed
2003 Judith Palac
2002 Rosemary Maloczay
2001 Marshall (Larry) Hutchinson
2000 Pat Smith
1999 Catharine DeLuca
1998 Alan MacNair
1997 Connie Dugger
1997 Bill Tennant
1996 Bob Ritsema
1995 Bob Phillips
1994 Robert Culver
1993 Jerry Bartlett
1992 Roxanne Oliver
1991 Russell Reed
1990 Geri Arnold
1989 Dan Long
1988 Yvonne Schilla
1987 Lyman Bodman
1986 Helene Bleecker
1983 Jean Manning
1982 Valerie Palmieri
1981 Martha Froseth
1980 Ann Schoelles
1979 Carolyn Tarzia
1978 Gabe Villasurda
1977 Ara Zerounian
1976 Marilyn Kesler
1975 Betty Heaton
1974 Lawrence Guenther
1973 Julius Stulberg
1972 Olive Gold Parks
1971 Mildred Bachellor
1970 Emily Austin
1969 Maurice Riley
1968 Louis Potter
1967 Elizabeth Green
1966 Robert Lint
1965 Anne Dodge
1964 Yenovk Kavafian
MASTA
Administrators of the Year
2010 no award
2009 no award
2008 Ron Mead
2007 Dr. Jerry L. Seese
2006 Dr. Wayne Vasher
2005 Roxanne DeWeerd
2004 Tom TenBrink
2003 Steve Gaynor
2002 Tom Miller
2002 Barbara Elmer
2001 Ellen Ewing
2000 R. Paul Barber
1999 Hedy Blatt
1998 James Huber
1985 Gustave Rosseels
1984 Ella Villa
