About Us
Kevin and Thea met in high school, began playing chamber music together, and gave their first performance in March of 2000. Later that summer, they began performing at weddings and other events including anniversary parties and performances at local retirement homes. In November of 2002, Kevin and Thea were married and continued to perform on a regular basis and named their ensemble "Violetta". In addition, they are both passionate music educators; Thea, a general music teacher and Kevin, a private instructor.
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Thea Janisch - Violin
Thea grew up in musical family. Her father, a talented pianist, sparked her interest and introduced her to music and at a young age. She participated in Stoughton's school string and choral programs as well as the local and state WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festivals and several extra-curricular activities in the musical realm.
Thea attended Edgewood College where she studied violin with Leanne Kelso-League; voice with Kathleen Otterson; and piano with Trevor Stephenson, Beatriz Aguilar, and Edward Parsons. She received a number of music and non-music scholarships and was three-time winner of the Diane Ballweg Scholarship, Edgewood’s most prestigious music award. She also won Edgewood's Concerto Competition in 2005 and sang Gluck's "Che faro senza Euridice" from the opera Orfeo ed Euridice with the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra. In 2008, Thea earned a B.S. in Music Education and became certified to teach Choral and General music.
Thea has performed with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony, Kettle Moraine Symphony, Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, Cecilia Singers, the UW Parkside Community Orchestra, the Bel Canto Chorus, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, the Milwaukee Philharmonic, and the Verona Area Community Orchestra. She is currently a member of the Madison Area String Orchestra. She has also worked with numerous community theaters as a pit musician and has performed in several shows including Once Upon a Mattress, West Side Story, Sound of Music, The King and I, and Annie.
Thea teaches general music at Fox Prairie Elementary in Stoughton.
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Kevin Janisch - Cello
Kevin began studying the cello in 1991 through Stoughton's school string program and continued through high school. In 2000, he won the high school's annual concerto competition and performed Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" with the High School orchestra. He also participated in the local and state WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival, several extra-curricular activities in the musical realm, was the winner of the Arion Music award in 2000, and was a member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra from 1993-2000.
After graduation, Kevin attended Edgewood College where he studied privately with Karl Lavine and performed with the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony, the Kettle Moraine Symphony, the UW-Parkside Community Orchestra, the Milwaukee Philharmonic, and the Verona Area Community Orchestra. He is currently a member of the Madison Area String Orchestra. He has also worked with numerous community theaters as a pit musician and has performed in several shows including Clue: The Musical, West Side Story, Sound of Music, The King and I, Annie, and Titanic: The Musical.
Kevin began teaching privately in 1999 and has served as cello teacher for Forbes-Meagher Music (2001-2005), Ward-Brodt Music (2005-2009), White House of Music (2009-2018), and Stoughton Center for the Arts (2020-2022). In addition, he has also worked as a sectional coach for the Washington County Youth Orchestra (2010-2011) and has been an adjudicator for the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) since 2015.
Kevin currently teaches private lessons out of his home studio in Edgerton. He also serves as assistant orchestra teacher in the McFlarland schools.
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