Randall Willis Olson

Randall Willis Olson was born in Delaware, Ohio, and began violin studies with Howard Beebe at age six. Later teachers included Robert Culver of the Ohio State Univeristy, Daniel Majeske, concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Margaret Pardee, Sally Thomas, and Ivan Galamian at the Meadowmount School of Music. Mr. Olson attended Indiana University for study with James Buswell and earned his Bachelor's degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Walter Levin and Jens Ellerman, who was also his teacher at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Olson has been a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, performing with them in Carnegie Hall. He has been a recitalist throughout the Midwest, and has appeared on recordings and videos with such artists as Vince Gill, Chet Atkins, Reba McEntyre, and Shania Twain. Also active as a teacher for forty years, he has served on the violin faculty of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music College Preparatory Department and the Allegro School of Music in Nashville, and as Conductor of the Bowling Green Youth Symphony. Formerly Co-concertmaster of Orchestra Kentucky in Bowling Green, KY, and Instructor of Violin and Viola at the Bowling Green String Academy Mr. Olson is currently Adjunct Instructor of Violin at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, KY.