Anna Larson - violin
Kaden Larson - piano
Ensemble project consonari was founded in 2019 by violinist Anna Larson and pianist Dr. Kaden Larson while studying at Indiana University. Their goal is to create opportunities to share the joys of music with others in an open collaboration project. consonari is a sponsored ensemble of Collaborative Musicians’ Project, Inc., an organization that promotes innovative chamber ensemble performance and education. As a sponsored ensemble, consonari coaches and performs side-by-side with members of CMP’s Youth Ensemble Program, and gives performances and workshops in K-12 schools.
consonari prioritizes programming contemporary music and lesser-known works from any era, especially those by under-represented composers. This includes a recent world premiere of George N. Gianopolous’ Introduction, Allegro & Grand Romance, Op. 13b.
They have performed as guest artists at Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University-Idaho, and at the Helen Elbert Collaborative Music Festival. consonari has been recognized in multiple competitions, including receiving a Distinguished Gold Medal at the 2023 Virtuoso Artists Festival hosted by the Seattle International Piano Festival and First Prize in the 2022 International Clara Schumann Competition.
Currently residing in Tyler, TX, Dr. Larson serves as Professor of Piano at Tyler Junior College, and Mrs. Larson serves as an adjunct instructor in applied violin and chamber music at the University of Texas at Tyler. They are active performers throughout Texas both individually and as an ensemble.
At the age of two, Dr. Kaden Larson was struck with a severely crippling case of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in his hands and feet. The piano served, initially, as a therapeutic activity to fight the disease. What began as a trial became a triumph and a calling. Active as a solo and collaborative pianist, passionate teacher, and lifelong learner, Kaden’s goal is to use music to promote faith, compassion, beauty, and a greater appreciation for the joys and challenges of life that bring people closer together.
Energized by a broad spectrum of musical styles from the academic to the popular, Kaden is an avid recitalist who regularly performs throughout his home state of Utah and has performed in locations throughout the United States and Europe. Working to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to new audiences, Kaden is a founding member of the Ensign Piano Quartet and the consonari ensemble project.
Professor of Piano/Music at Tyler Junior College, Kaden enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities. His involvement with various chapters of the Music Teachers’ National Association has included leadership, presentations at state and national pedagogy conferences, and organization of various music initiatives. Kaden currently serves as an adjudicator for the Bay Area Piano Competition.
Kaden earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Brigham Young University, graduating summa cum laude, during which time he also spent a term of music study in Vienna, Austria. Graduate studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music include a Master of Music degree, a Performer’s Certificate, and a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance and Literature. His mentors include Tricia West, Chad Schumacher, Dr. Scott Holden, Dr. Stephen Beus, and Norman Krieger. Kaden also credits his angelically patient parents for many of the early victories and their continued enthusiastic encouragement. He has been a prizewinner or finalist in numerous competitions, including most recently the 2023 Virtuoso Artists Festival, hosted by the Seattle International Piano Festival.
When he's not locked away practicing, Kaden enjoys skiing, hiking, baking, and generally breaking the fourth wall. He also enjoys developing his skills at the organ, being involved with local choral arts, and composing and arranging. Kaden and his wife Anna are happily employed as domestic help for a loquacious orange tabby named Apollo. Kaden recently released his first album, Phantasium, on the KNS Classical label. Visit kadenlarsonpiano.com for bookings, concert schedule, and more.
Anna Larson is a passionate chamber and orchestral musician, as well as a studio musician and soloist. Originally from Issaquah, WA, she now performs and teaches in Tyler, TX and the greater East Texas region. Beginning her musical studies on the piano at age 4, Anna later discovered a passion for the violin that led her to pursue a life of music. She is an adjunct instructor in applied violin and chamber music at the University of Texas at Tyler, and maintains a small private studio. Anna has given masterclasses at BYU-Idaho and the Helen Elbert Collaborative Music Festival, and has served as a judge for multiple regional competitions.
An avid chamber musician, Anna frequently performs in collaborative ensemble consonari with her husband, Dr. Kaden Larson (piano). She also serves as secretary for the Collaborative Musicians' Project, Inc. and heads their community outreach program. Anna enjoys mentoring young musicians, and has taught for Indiana University’s Fairview Violin Program, as an elementary string instructor in the Monroe County Community School Corporation, and has coached violin sectionals for the East Texas Youth Orchestras.
Anna is a section violinist in multiple regional orchestras, including the Longview Symphony and Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Past leadership roles include Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and Assistant Concertmaster of the Ensign Symphony and Chorus.
Anna received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in Violin Performance from Indiana University, studying with Austin Hartman and Grigory Kalinovsky. Other mentors have included Jan Coleman and Simon James. She has participated in multiple international music festivals, including the Atlantic Music Festival as an Instrumental Fellow in 2021, Philadelphia International Music Festival, where she received Honorable Mention in the 2017 Concerto Competition, Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, and ARIA International Summer Academy. She has also performed as a soloist with the Ensign Symphony and Chorus.
Outside of music, Anna enjoys cooking and baking, learning new board games, reading, spending time outside, and entertaining her orange tabby cat Apollo.
