Kathleen Gallagher-McLellan has had a unique and ever-evolving journey throughout her violin career. As a "Suzuki Kid," she began playing the violin when she was five after apparently running up to strangers announcing that she would "play the violin one day"; thankfully, her mother got the hint.

This early interest and exposure to the Suzuki method has shaped who she is today and how she shares this experience and knowledge with others. Her mission is to provide a studio that takes a holistic, nurturing approach to developing confidence and ease in the playing of young violinists and violists through listening, repetition, and artistic commitment. She strives to foster her student's unique personalities through the art and discipline of learning the violin and viola. She is passionate about supporting a healthy body and mind for each student by putting emphasis, and bringing awareness to body alignment and function, and actively shaping the culture that is being created within the studio.

After completing Suzuki Violin Book 4, she moved to a more traditional pedagogical approach, eventually leading to her attending the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, studying with Hal Grossman for her high school studies. During that time, she had the honor of serving as Concertmaster for the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra and received the distinguished Violin Award. Following high school, she attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying with Frank Huang and participating in a quartet program coached by the Ying Quartet. She performed throughout Austria, Hungary, and most of the continental US during this time.

Her time at Eastman led her to question her relationship with the violin and what having music in her life looked like going forward. The memories and loving approach of her formative violin studies led her to seek training within the Suzuki method. From day one of her Suzuki Violin Book 1 training, it was clear that this was the path to a different way of teaching and learning. Since then, she has committed to the pursuit of lifelong learning. She is fully certified to teach Suzuki Book 1-10 through the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is a recipient of their Distinguished Young Teacher award. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance at the California State University Sacramento School of Music, studying and serving as the violin studio teaching assistant for Professor Anna Presler and Concertmaster for the Symphony Orchestra. She has also presented research on "Fostering Self-Evaluation and Program Assessment" at the 2023 American String Teacher Association National Conference in Orlando, Florida, and “Gravity, Tools for Tone Development” at the 2024 American String Teacher Association & Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Louisville, Kentucky with her colleague Elena Bolha.

Kathleen currently accepts students in Sacramento, California, where she lives with her husband and chocolate lab Jemma. She serves as the Applied Violin Instructor at the Consumnes River College. She regularly performs as Associate Concertmaster for the Auburn Symphony, Camerata California, and the Modesto Opera. She is a regular Section Violinist for The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Sacramento Choral Society, Vallejo Symphony, and Music in the Mountains. She is a registered member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, the Suzuki Music Association of California, the Suzuki Association of Northern California, the American String Teachers Association, and the American Federation of Musicians Local 12. When she isn't teaching or playing with local orchestras, Kathleen enjoys camping, gardening, and reading novels.