Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Casimir.
Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In West Philadelphia, born and raised… I started playing the violin at age 2. My father and uncle were my first teachers until I turned 8 years old. I attended a private school, The William Penn Charter School, from kindergarten – 12th grade. I switched to the viola at Oberlin Conservatory, then I transferred to the Juilliard school for my Bachelor’s in Performance from 2011-2015. After Juilliard, I attended the Curtis Institute of Music, a small music school in Philadelphia, for my Post-Baccalaureate degree from 2015-2018. While I was at the Curtis Institute I won a job with the London Philharmonic and a job with the St. Louis Symphony. After leaving college I solidified my job with the St. Louis Symphony by winning another audition for a tenured-track spot.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road wasn’t very smooth for me. I remember having a lesson with my teacher in high school and we were talking about colleges that I should consider. My dad would attend every lesson. So, I mentioned a few schools and my teacher said they were good options. Then my dad asked if I should consider auditioning for Juilliard and Curtis, and my teacher said, “Michael doesn’t practice enough to go to those schools.” I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face. So much disappointment! Then, years later, I graduated from both of those schools!
Also, Black musicians represented only 1.8 percent of the nation’s orchestra players in 2014, a figure that had not grown over the previous 12 years, according to the most recent study by the League of American Orchestras.
https://www.ithaca.edu/news/
Being such a minority in this field has so many struggles. I’m constantly wondering if I’m good enough and if I get, or don’t get, opportunities because of my race.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a violist in the St. Louis Symphony!
I am an advocate of developing opportunities for young urban musicians, I have taught high school students in my hometown of Philadelphia and have taught String Ensemble at Normandy High School in St. Louis. I was recently appointed to the position of Orchestra Director at Lindenwood University.
I recorded the soundtrack for Space Jam 2: A New Legacy, and Disney’s 2019 The Lion King. I also enjoy playing, recording, filming, and editing solo and chamber music video projects.
I want people to experience classical music the way that I do. I want to make it palatable and entertaining for a wider/ more mainstream audience.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I never really liked classical musicians or classical music settings. I never really “vibed” with those types of people. I always thought of myself as a normal person, who happened to be good at the violin/ viola. I loved, and still love, to make people laugh. Stand-up comedy is very important to me. I would listen and study Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock almost every night when I was an adolescent. Understanding how to make the same joke new every night, and listening to timing, was always important to me because of how it relates to being a musician. We deliver the same concerts multiple times a weekend, so we have to make it fresh every time we play it.
Contact Info:
- Website: michaelcasimir.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikecasimirviola/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikecasimir
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqURK3mmmjLK8-jxyjV0RPw/featured
Image Credits
Celeste Boyer
