Raven Olmstead is a music educator and violinist.
She teaches Suzuki violin and Early Childhood Education (SECE) in her home studio in Northwest Aurora. Raven is the strings instructor at St. Anne’s Episcopal School, and regularly performs chamber music throughout the state.
Raven worked and volunteered with El Sistema for eight years, and partnered with Denver Community Music Academy to provide free music instruction to Denver School of the Arts students with financial need.
Raven collaborates with several non-traditional genres as well as maintaining a classical performance schedule. She plays in Front Range Chamber Players, as well as the Folk band Alright, Alright. She appears on albums as founding member and instrumental writer with folk band The Northern Empty. From 2016-2019, Raven collaborated with Dr. Chappell Kingsland, performing virtuosic covers of Pop and Rock music. Raven and her sister, Jasmine, sing and play Classical Indian hymns on harmonium and violin for yoga classes at Samadhi Yoga.
Raven studied violin with Erik Peterson and Linda Wang. Their excellent instruction made it possible for her to attend several esteemed international festivals, notably: Interlochen, Montecito, Interharmony Italy, and Domaine Forget. She performed in master classes for Vadim Repin, Midori, Brian Lewis, Vadim Gluzman, and Paul Kantor. Raven holds a Bachelor Degree in Violin Performance, as well as a Suzuki Violin Pedagogy Graduate Certificate from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.
During her free time, Raven makes sourdough bread, chases her PR’s on Peloton, and enjoys Colorado’s expansive outdoor playground with her husband, Mike, and son, Clyde.