The Mountains & Strings Faculty consists of professionals of the highest level both from the education world and the performance world. They are also great role models for all who attend the retreat.

eric grossman, violin
​featured soloist
Praised in The New York Times as a "brilliant soloist" violinist Eric Grossman is a versatile performer. From collabor- ations with Lowell Liebermann to concerto appearances in many parts of the world, he has been hailed for his flawless technique, superb musician- ship and commitment to a wide range of repertoire. Mr. Grossman’s first teacher was his father, cellist John Grossman, who instilled in him an abiding love for music. A graduate of Juilliard, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay, Mr. Grossman enjoys an active performing career. He has given highly acclaimed recitals and solo performances with orchestras in the U.S., Europe, Korea, Japan, and Cuba under renowned conductors including Zubin Mehta, Stanislaw Skrowaczewki, and Michael Gielen. Mr. Grossman has performed and recorded Lowell Liebermann’s Violin Sonata with the composer, and recorded the soundtrack performance of Ravel’s Tzigane for The Elusive Muse, a PBS documentary on dancer Suzanne Farrel. As a chamber musician, Mr. Grossman has collaborated with such noted artists as David Soyer, Seymour Lipkin, Philip Myers, and Sandra Rivers, among many others.

Jack ashton, violin, conductor
Jack Ashton began his musical life at age eight while living in Tyhee, a small farming community in Eastern Idaho, later moving to Utah and studying with David Shand, Assistant Conductor of the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel. After serving an L.D.S. mission to Germany and a year of active duty with the US Army, Mr. Ashton reentered the University of Utah, studying and performing in the University Symphony under Dr. Shand. He also studied with Sally Peck Leutz and Oscar Chassow, as well as with Szymon Goldberg. When the Symphony became a full time orchestra, Mr. Ashton spent several years playing in both first and second violin sections and was appointed Assistant Principal Second Violin, a position he held for the next twenty-five years.  Recently, after the appointment of Keith Lockhart as Music Director, Mr. Ashton rejoined the rotating violin section.  Mr. Ashton has been very active as a music educator, founding the Young Artist Chamber Players and overseeing a private violin studio where he teaches about thirty students each year.  Mr. Ashton has been married to Marie Yeates for the past thirty-eight years, and they have eight children. He enjoys hiking, gardening, and teaching his students. 

ALice Coulam, VIOLIN/VIOLA
Alice Ashton Coulam was raised in a musical home with her father being a violinist in the Utah Symphony and her mother being an accomplished pianist. Alice started her violin journey at the age of 4 and continued with her violin all the way to college where she received a MM of Music in Violin Performance, having studied with Igor and Vesna Gruppmann.
She continued her violin performing in Salt Lake City as an active member in several professional groups such as The Utah Chamber Artists, Ballet West Orhestra, L.A. East recording orchestra and a Member of the Orchestra at Temple Square, where she is currently a member.
Alice is the 1st Violinist in the Zion String Quartet located in Salt Lake.
She is the current President of the Gruppmann Violin Institute. Within the institute she is a pedagogy mentor/teacher and performance teacher of the large and small ensembles. She has been active within the Institute since it’s beginning in 2007.
Alice is a violin/viola faculty member, Chamber music coach and Fiddling instructor at Mountains and Strings Music Camp and has been a part of this fun and lovely camp since 2008.
Alice was a Violin/Viola Faculty member at Snow College from 2007-2013 where she also coached the string Chamber groups and taught the Orchestral Repetoire Class.
Alice began conducting the Youth Chamber Orchestra in 2004 and is still the conductor of this group. She loves working with youth and loves introducing them to String Chamber Orchestra Music.
Alice is a private violin/Viola instructor in Salt Lake where she teaches beginning - advanced violin students.
She is the mother of 3 darling children and finds her true joy in spending time with her children and husband.

CHANDra Lind, cello
Chandra Lind fell in love with teaching at the age of 14.  She teaches orchestra in the Bozeman, Montana Public Schools and serves as principal cellist of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra she has performed with for three decades. Chandra has served as a teacher-mentor as well as Montana String Teachers Association's president. She is a co-founder of the Bozeman Summer String Jam, a camp for beginners through high school aged musicians.  A Fulbright recipient, active clinician and performing musician, Chandra enjoys teaching young people about the power of commitment, communication and community through music.  When not musically busy, Chandra's favorite activities include disappearing into a good book and eating chocolate--preferably at the same time.
Some of our other teachers at Mountains & Strings and Mini Mountains & Strings *may include:

Patricia Laurence, violin
Molly Cowley, violin
Richard Ferguson, violin/viola
Mindy Hillman, violin
Ariel Loveland, violin (Mini M&S Orchestra)
Dallin Murrow, cello
Emma Rubinstein, violin
Jenni Warner, violin


*Some faculty may change from year to year. We will update this list as those changes occur.
​Many of these talented teachers have been with us for years, and have played a major role in making Mountains & Strings what it is today.
We love our Mountains & Strings Family, and want as many as possible to come take part!