String Faculty

Connecticut native Robert Anderson earned a bachelor's degree at Indiana University and a master's degree at Catholic University. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich with Professor Franz Ortner. Prior to joining the Minnesota Orchestra in 1974, Anderson performed with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, the U.S. Army Band in Washington, D.C., the Richmond Symphony and the Aspen Music Festival.

Robert Anderson joined the UW-Eau Claire faculty in 2004 as associate lecturer and teaches applied double bass. He also serves as a faculty member at the MacPhail Center for Music and the Las Vegas Music Festival and is active as a freelance musician.

Bradley Johnson joined the UW-Eau Claire faculty as lecturer in strings in 2002 and teaches applied viola, applied violin, and string techniques. Mr. Johnson studied with Professor Korey Konkol at the University of Minnesota School of Music and holds a Masters of Music in Viola Performance from the University of Minnesota. He has also been in Long Term Suzuki Teacher Training at the University of Minnesota School of Music. Mr. Johnson studied with Professor Richard Fuchs at the University of Northern Colorado and received a Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance from there.

An active violist and violinist, Mr. Johnson has performed extensively in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area at Murray's Restaurant, with the Lyra Concert Baroque Orchestra, in Ensemble Polaris, in the Plymouth Series with Philip Brunelle, in Broadway's Miss Saigon Touring Company, and in the Ted Mann String Quartet.

Prof. Kosower has performed many live broadcast concerts over Wisconsin Public Radio, Minnesota Public Radio and several concerts on the prestigious "Dame Myra Hess memorial Concert Series" in Preston Bradley Hall – Chicago which broadcast concerts live all over the world.

Having been the recipient of numerous grants including four performance touring grants from the Wisconsin Arts Board and the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Mr. Kosower has performed concerts throughout the U. S. in the major cities of New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Kansas City, Phoenix, San Francisco and parts of Europe. He has appeared as cello soloist with many symphony orchestras including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Prof. Kosower remains a very active performer and maintains a vigorous concert schedule including live broadcast concerts, soloist on artist series and soloist with symphony orchestras.

Paula M. Smith has been an active performer, teacher and promoter of the harp for the past 20 years. She received her Master's Degree in Harp Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has been an instructor of harp at the University since fall 2000. Ms. Smith also holds a M.S.Ed. degree in School Psychology and has been employed with the Menomonie School District since 1985. She is currently using her expertise in both fields to explore the effects of passive and active harp therapy on children and adults with a wide range of disabilities in collaboration with the Unviersity's Music Therapy program. Research results were recently presented at both the Regional and National Music Therapy Conferences in 2003. Ms. Smith's work was also featured in the June 2004 edition of Wisconsin West magazine.

Ms. Smith is a guest performer with the Master Singers of the Greater Chippewa Valley and is featured on four of their recent recordings. She also performs with the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra and the Central Wisconsin Symphony in addition to various community and educational groups.

Mr. Yasuda was appointed as Orchestra Director at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1991, Music Director of the Chippewa Valley Symphony in 1993, and most recently, Associate Conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival in 1999. His performance of Milhaud’s Création du monde at the festival was broadcast on National Public Radio, Performance Today in July 2001. His recent appearances as guest conductor include the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Indiana. Mr. Yasuda made his international conducting debut in Germany with the NDR Philharmonie-Hannover in May, 2003. And in March, 2004, he conducted the Osaka Philharmonic in Japan. He has served as Acting Assistant Conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra. His conducting studies include fellowships with Gunther Schuller at the Festival at Sandpoint, and with Murry Sidlin and Michael Tilson Thomas at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Yasuda credits Eiji Oue, the former Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra, as his principal conducting mentor.