Magnolia Rohrer
Detroit-based violinist and violist Magnolia “Meg” Rohrer (they/them/she/her) specializes in new and experimental chamber music. Magnolia is the violinist of Hub New Music, a touring quartet dedicated to commissioning and performing new chamber music repertoire. Magnolia is also the violinist and violist in Virago, a Michigan-based quartet that melds contemporary chamber music with free improvisation. For two years, Magnolia was a member of the award-winning Converge String Quartet, a group dedicated to premiering new works by University of Michigan composers, and they now perform regularly with the Kalkaska String Quartet. Other current projects include Violet Booleans: a violin + live-processing electronics duo with Derek Worthington, Willis/Rohrer: an improvising violin + bass duo with Ben Willis, a violin/viola duo with Madeline Warner, and a solo project with fixed media exploring microtonal polyphony.
Magnolia performs regularly with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and has made guest concertmaster appearances with the Michigan Philharmonic. Solo concerto engagements include the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan, the Thailand International Composer Festival in Mahidol, Thailand, and the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra in Palo Alto, CA.
As an educator, Magnolia has trained in the Suzuki method and is influenced by the pedagogies of Mimi Zweig, Mark Mutter, Marilyn O’Boyle, Blair Milton, Danielle Belen, and Ed Sarath. Magnolia has taught through the Sphinx Organization, Crescendo Detroit, the Crowden Music Center in Berkeley, CA, the Ann Arbor Public Schools camp at Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Àkójọpò Music Festival, The People’s Music School in Chicago, and the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra summer workshop. Rohrer has led free improvisation workshops in Detroit, Flint, Ypsilanti, and Interlochen.
Magnolia earned their masters degree at the University of Michigan studying with Danielle Belen and Caroline Coade, and holds a bachelors degree from Northwestern University where they studied with Blair Milton.
Magnolia is a New Mexican who grew up in California and is now embracing life as a Michigander. In their free time, Magnolia enjoys baking sourdough bread, the ever expanding Star Wars universe, and spending time with their eight younger siblings.