ROBERT ALLEN, Principal Accompanist

Robert is a native of San Rafael, California.  He attended Terra Linda High School and graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Composition.  He plays multiple instruments – piano, organ, saxophone, and percussion among them.  In addition, he enjoys singing and composing music.

He has served as accompanist for a variety of Marin Lutheran Church programs including our annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) and the 75th Anniversary Concert: Peace and Unity.  Robert has been the accompanist for vocal classes at Berkelee College of Music in Boston, classes at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and has performed keyboard in bands from jazz to big band and rock.  We are happy to have Robert as our Principal Accompanist, where he brings all his music skills to this position.

DAWN MADOLE, Violin

Dawn Madole is a native of Marin County and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.  In her youth, she played in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and she was Concertmaster of the University Symphony Orchestra at Cal.  She received a scholarship after college and moved to Vienna, Austria to study with one of the concertmasters of the Vienna Philharmonic, Daniel Froschauer.  Her long time teacher and mentor in Marin was Serban Rusu.

Dawn is an active performer and teacher.  She is a member of the Vallejo Symphony and plays regularly with the Marin Symphony.  She has coached the string sections of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Marin Symphony Youth Programs, Berkeley High School Orchestra, and Mill Valley Middle School Orchestra.  She currently has a private studio of over 20 students, serves as music faculty at GATE Academy and the Crowden Music Center in Berkeley, CA.  Her greatest joy in teaching is the relationships she builds with students, the longevity of those relationships, and learning how to help them achieve their best.

PATRICIA MINER, Violin

Patricia Miner began her music career in British Columbia, Canada where she was a member of the Victoria Symphony and taught at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.  On returning to the United States, she studied with the legendary concert violinist, Camilla Wicks, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  Through summer music festivals she also studied with famous teachers Joseph Gingold and Ruggiero Ricci.

Patricia has been a member of the San Jose Symphony and the Sacramento Symphony.  She currently plays with the California Symphony.  Her summer festivals have included the Carmel Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival and currently the Mendocino Music Festival.

Patricia’s passion for world music led her to study Indian violin at the Ali Akbar College of Music with Ali Akbar Khan.  Following that she studied and performed concerts with music composer David Hykes.  She has also performed with legendary musicians:  Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Harry Connick Jr., Smokey Robinson, Kenny Loggins, and Diana Krall.

Her violin students have been winners of the Marin Music Chest competition and have performed as soloists with the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra.  Her students have received scholarships to Northwestern University, UCLA and Yale.