Our Violin and Viola Educator Idaho Music Academy

Jennifer Fife

Violin and Viola

Jennifer Fife has been teaching private violin and viola lessons for 25 years and has made Idaho Music Academy home to her studio since it opened in 2004. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance and has worked with artists such as Jim Cockey, Josh Groban, and Moody Blues, and has performed for The Producers, Gianni Schicci, Madame Butterfly, Our Town, La Fille du Regiment, Annie Get Your Gun, the Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie, Brigadoon, and many more. She is a freelance musician with Opera Idaho, Boise Music Week, McCall Chamber Orchestra and Cathedral of the Rockies. As the owner and principal violinist of Silhouette String Ensemble, she performs regularly for events throughout the Treasure Valley and the state of Idaho.

Throughout her membership in the National Federation of Music Clubs she has held the offices of National Crusade for Strings Chairman, Idaho Federation of Music Clubs State President, Awards Chairman, Composition Chairman, and currently serves the Boise Tuesday Musicale as the local Crusade for Strings Chairman. Her students earn top honors in their school orchestras and regularly achieve Superior ratings at Festivals and perform in the Youth Symphony and Honor Orchestras.

Jennifer loves to teach all levels – from first-time beginner to advanced – and stresses the love of music through practice, theory, technique, solos, and concert attendance.

Melissa Wilson

Cello

Obtaining a Bachelors in Music Performance in 2008 and a Masters in Cello Pedagogy in 2012, Melissa has enjoyed performing around the globe, and teaching in her private studio for over 15 years. As a teacher, Melissa wants the time spent with her students each week to be fun and engaging, fostering independence, self awareness, and help build a skill set tailored to each individual student’s learning style. She has gone on various Northwest U.S. tours, and finished a European tour with songwriter and author Nick Jaina in March of 2015. Melissa is honored to have performed and collaborated with various artists and projects like Music from the Fringe, Kurva Choir, Off Center Dance Project, Thomas Paul, Heidi Kraay, Steve Fulton, Serenata Orchestra, Homegrown Theater, and Silhouette String Ensemble. This spring she looks forward to performing with her friends in the Treefort Music Festival, and Story Story Night.

When Melissa isn’t playing or teaching music, she is working with the Boise Philharmonic as their Operations manager, running in the foothills, tending a vegetable garden, trading stories with dear friends and family, cross stitching, or taking a catnap.

Ava Camilo

Cello

Ava Camilo holds a BM in Music Performance from Boise State University and is currently pursuing a MM in Music Performance from the University of Denver. Concurrently, she is receiving a certificate in Suzuki Pedagogy with current certification through level 4. As a freshman at Boise State, she won the concerto-aria competition and performed the Elgar Cello Concerto with the university symphony. Throughout her schooling she has frequently held the principal cellist position of her university orchestras. Music festivals she has attended include the Marrowstone Music Festival and the International Cello Institute. Her primary teachers have included Nancy B. Wilson, Brian Hodges, and Matthew Zalkind. Ava is a passionate teacher to students from a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. She is currently on summer break from her schooling and will be teaching and performing in Boise until September.