Charlie Thollander is a Bay-Area raised Swedish-Filipino violinist. He has completed his
master’s degree in violin performance at Boston University, and his undergraduate degree at
UCLA. Charlie is an active performer and is a member of a professional musician network
named Viva Virtuoso, a Los Angeles based group who invited Charlie to perform in their
Classical Music variety show. Charlie is also a winning actor in the UCLA Campus MovieFest,
in a short film on his life as a musician.
Charlie studied with three previous violin teachers who are alumni of the Moscow Conservatory
and the Saint Petersburg Conservatory influencing Charlie with the Russian style, known for its
emphasis on pathos. As a violin teacher Charlie takes a holistic approach to learning through
teaching healthy habits and sustainable goals, encouraging the role of the violin as a companion
rather than a tool. Charlie hopes that his students, of all levels, can experience the greatest
reward of being a musician: building and being part of a community.
