Amy Lindstrom
Raised in a musical family with three siblings, there was always practicing happening in the house. Amy Lindstrom began piano lessons at four years old and then began violin with Rochester MN Suzuki teacher, Susan Narveson at nine. Piano was a decision made by parents but Amy found violin intriguing primarily because of an older brother who would not allow her to touch his violin, so competition with him caused her to start begging for lessons and a violin of her own. On the old side for a beginner Suzuki student and already adept at reading music from five years of piano studies, Amy transitioned to traditional lessons with Joan Elkins after only a couple of years and continued studying with her through high school.
Home educated from first grade through high school, Amy’s early orchestral experiences were in Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestras (SEMYO) and the Mayo Clinic Chamber Symphony (a community orchestra for amateur adult musicians). During her time as a student in these ensembles, Amy worked her way “up the ranks” ending as Principal Second Violin in SEMYO and as Assistant Concertmaster in the Mayo Clinic orchestra. During high school years, Amy also began her own private teaching studio and studied her first two years of music at the college level – Music Theory and Ear Training – under Dr. Kevin Dobbe at Rochester Community and Technical College.
Amy earned her Bachelor’s degree summa cum laude with a double major in Music and American Studies from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Majoring in Music was intentional, studying with Dr. Alan Rawson and acting as concertmaster for the university orchestra. Although Amy enjoyed the solo work and leadership in the orchestra, and grew tremendously through it, her greatest joy came from playing in a string quartet setting. The double major was essentially an accident as Amy did not know that she was interested in American history until she had taken nearly enough credits in the American Studies department for the leadership in that area to recommend that she simply declare it as a major. During college, Amy had her first professional orchestra experience as a member of the first violin section in the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony. She was also one of the founding members of the Moorhead State Music Pedagogy program, teaching private students on campus under the mentorship of Dr. Rawson.
Amy returned to Rochester MN after college, auditioned and joined the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, accepted the position of orchestra librarian, rejoined the Mayo Clinic Chamber Symphony as concertmaster and began teaching private lessons in earnest, quickly building a studio of 40 students between Rochester and Austin MN. After a couple of years of teaching, she realized that it was not her first love and took the position of Business Administrator for the Rochester Symphony, downsizing her teaching studio and beginning to play in additional ensembles as a freelance musician. In addition to the Rochester Symphony, in recent years she has played as a contracted member or regular sub with the Winona Symphony Orchestra (as Principal Second Violin and later as Concertmaster), the La Crosse Symphony, wcfsymphony, Austin (MN) Symphony, Winona Oratorio, Choral Arts Ensemble, Dubuque Symphony, and as a regular member of Rochester Covenant Church’s worship band.
Like many musicians in wcfsymphony, many hours are spent on the road traveling to rehearsals in various communities. Amy regularly travels with Anne Judisch, another wcfsymphony violinist, and through time spent in the car together driving between Cedar Falls and Rochester they have become good friends. Usually, Amy’s favorite wcfsymphony moment on stage is related to whatever the most recent performance was; right now, she is still savoring the moment at the end of the Phillip Glass Piano Concerto No. 3 performed in September when soloist, orchestra and audience were all silent together for several seconds as the final note dissipated in the hall.
Currently, Amy lives in Rochester, Minnesota and is Director of Operations and Education for the Rochester Symphony, Principal Second Violin for the Rochester Symphony, Interim Principal Second Violin for wcfsymphony, Section First Violin for the La Crosse Symphony, Manager and First Violin for the Campion String Quartet, and is part of the founding board of “Resounding Voices”—a performing choir for those with dementia and their support partners. In her spare time, she substitutes in other ensembles, reads, knits, enjoys the company of nieces and nephews, and participates on church committees. If you follow her on social media, you will likely see many pictures of her cat.