Molly Malone Nordin is a native of Eau Claire, WI. In 1995 she earned a Bachelor’s in Music degree from Viterbo College with emphasis in violin and piano. At this time she performed with the LaCrosse Symphony and the Winona, MN Symphony Orchestra. While in college Molly studied with Dr. David Phipps, Dr. Mary Ellen Haupert, Mark Taylor and Ray Shows of the Artaria String Quartet of Boston. She was fortunate to spend a day with Joshua Bell, including turning pages for his accompanist at a Bright Star Season concert. Molly also had the opportunity to have a lesson and masterclass with Pinkas Zuckermann. While in college, Molly gave four full recitals on both piano and violin, and was a violin soloist with the Viterbo College Orchestra. Immediately after college Molly began her public school teaching career in Platteville, WI, as the orchestra teacher for grades 5 – 12. In Southwest Wisconsin she performed with the UW-Platteville Community Orchestra and the Dubuque Symphony. After seven years and doubling the orchestra program, it was time to move back home.
In 2002 Molly began teaching in Chippewa Falls, WI and has been the orchestra director at the Middle and High Schools. She has been principal second violin of the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, and performed with the Chippewa Valley String Quartet for four years. Molly earned her String Development masters degree through UW-Madison in 2005. She was the State Newsletter Editor for the American String Teachers Association for four years. Currently Molly serves on the Wisconsin State Music Associations Festival Committee, and is the orchestra chair for the Wisconsin State Musician. She also serves on the Chippewa Valley Symphony Board and their Artistic Advisory Committee.
Chippewa Falls Orchestra program has grown tremendously under Molly’s direction. There are now four high school orchestras: 9 orchestra, 10 orchestra, 11/12 orchestra, and an auditioned, completely memorized and choreographed pop strings group called Wire Choir. There is also a string quartet that performs throughout the community.
Molly and her orchestras have received several honors in her teaching career. She was chosen as the Wal-Mart teacher of the year in 2005, has been asked by her athletic students numerous times each year to be their teacher honoree at their varsity sporting events, and has been asked six out of nine years as the most influential educator for the top 5% of each graduating class, and was awarded the Mr. Holland’s Opus award through Bob Roger’s travel in 2011. Molly’s creation, Wire Choir, was selected to perform at the State School Board convention in 2007, the State Teacher’s convention in 2011, and was nominated as one of the top performing groups in the United States by being nominated for the elite concert series at Carnegie Hall in 2011. In 2012 Wire Choir was chosen as one of seven orchestra in the United States to travel with the top alternative string educators and their group League of Astonishing Strings. Because of this, Wire Choir will be performing in China in June of 2013.
Molly lives with her husband Karl and their two cats in the house they built together in 2003. Recently they have been remodeling a cabin. When Molly is not involved in music activities she can be found waterskiing or downhill skiing, depending on the season.
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