Stephen Shepherd received his Bachelor’s Degree in music performance from the University of Iowa before relocating to Pittsburgh, PA to work towards a Master’s in Music performance and Artist Diploma degrees. Upon receiving them, he decided to pursue a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the University of Iowa, completing the terminal degree in 2003. His orchestral playing includes several seasons with the Westmoreland, Wheeling, and Cedar Rapids symphonies and the Cedar Rapids Opera Orchestra before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Steve teaches orchestra and band at Mount Solo Middle School in Longview, WA. He is also the Associate Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, 1st Violin with Portland Chamber Orchestra and the Principal Second of the Clark College Orchestra. Steve and his wife Lanette are active Suzuki teachers at the Suzuki Institute of Longview-Kelso, which they started in 2010.