​Annissa Bolder

CYSA Executive Director

I’m so pleased to be returning for another year of fantastic music-making with CYSA, my seventh year with the organization! From 2016-2019, I served as CYSA's Orchestra Manager and as an Elementary Strings teacher. In 2019, I moved into the Executive Director role. 

A little about me: I was raised in a family of musicians and music teachers, and grew up studying violin, viola, and piano in Tempe, Arizona – later receiving degrees in Viola Performance and French from Arizona State University. Weary of the desert sun, I relocated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest in 2012, where I received master's degrees in Viola Performance & Violin/Viola Pedagogy and Music Education from the University of Oregon. I’m passionate about bringing music education to students of all ages, with a focus on early childhood education. I love that CYSA's programs give students the chance to start learning an instrument as early as 3rd grade, and provide amazing musical opportunities for those students through high school! I'm honored to be apart of this great organization, which has served the region for over 40 years. 

Previously, I served as Director of the Douglas County Youth Orchestras from 2014-2017, and on the faculty at the UO Community Music Institute in Eugene. I perform regularly with local orchestras and string quartets, and maintain a studio of private violin/viola students in Corvallis. In my free time, I love hiking, biking and running on Corvallis' great trails and hanging out with my family! 

You are always welcome to reach out to me if you have questions about CYSA’s symphonies or the Elementary Strings program (annissabolder@gmail.com).