Zoie Hightower

Zola (“Zoie”) Hightower is a prominent violinist, violist, and teacher in the Ann Arbor area. In May of 2025, she completed her doctoral studies under the tutelage of Caroline Coade (viola) and Danielle Belen (violin) at the University of Michigan. During her time in Ann Arbor, she has regularly performed in both violin sections and the viola section of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, has recently shared the stage with James Ehnes, Amir Eldan, Anthony Elliot, Annie Fullard, Kim Kaloyanides Kennedy, Danielle Belen, and Caroline Coade, and has taught violin, viola, orchestral repertoire classes, and chamber music at Concordia University and Hillsdale College, as well as non-major violin and viola lessons and Viola for Violinists at University of Michigan (a required course for Violin Majors).

For her Master’s degree, she attended Indiana University where she studied with Simin Ganatra (violin) and Atar Arad (viola), and was a faculty member of the renowned Jacobs String Academy as Mimi Zweig’s Assistant Instructor. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan where she studied with Danielle Belen (violin) and Caroline Coade (viola). She was a member of the Indiana University Virtuosi for six years, studying with Mimi Zweig and Brenda Brenner, and has been a featured soloist and chamber musician on stages and in concert halls in America, Europe, Canada and South America. She has soloed with the South Shore Orchestra, New World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University Chamber Symphony, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. At Indiana University, she won the 2022 Concerto Competition, culminating in a solo appearance with the Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Kuttner Chamber Competition first prize award.

As a chamber musician, Zoie has made a name for herself as a founding member of the Cavatina String Quartet, which was the 2021-2022 recipient of the Kuttner award and residency at Jacobs School of Music through which she worked closely with the Pacifica Quartet and Atar Arad. As a pedagogue, Zoie has taught at Hillsdale College, Concordia University, Michigan Youth Performing Arts Program, Aspen Music Youth Summer Workshop, Blue Hill Youth Summer Program (through Kniesel Hall), Fairview Project in Bloomington (with Dr. Brenda Brenner), The Heartbeat Project (a two-week summer music/Dine workshop for children K–12 of the Navajo Nation), Indiana University String Academy (private, group, and chamber music teacher), and Center Stage Strings.

Her private students have been accepted to, and received awards from prestigious musical institutions such as Bowdoin, Illinois Chamber Music Festival, Philadelphia International Music Festival, Indiana University Jacobs String Academy, Center Stage Strings, and San Francisco Conservatory. Zoie is currently acting Viola Professor at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is grateful for the opportunity to play on an 1870 Alfonso Della Corte viola on a generous loan by Lauren Chipman.