The VMSA Staff
The Violin Making School of America team brings a combined 70 years of experience of instruction, playing, and repairing violins
Sanghoon Lee
Mr. Lee graduated from VMSA in 2004, and worked in restoration at the Peter Prier violin shop. Mr. Lee was awarded a Silver Medal for Violin Tone at the 2010 Violin Society of America competition.
Charles Woolf
Mr. Woolf is a graduate of VMSA, worked from 1987 to 1991 in restoration at the Bearden Violin Shop in St. Louis, and has been Head Instructor at VMSA since 1991.
Alex Wilson
Mr. Wilson is active as a professional maker and restorer of the violin family. He has an MA from the University of Chicago focused in Ethnomusicology, and a BA from Guilford College in Music Theory/Composition. He graduated Cum Laude from VMSA in 2012, and worked in restoration for Prier and Sons Violins where he also served as Shop Foreman.
Ryan Hayes
After graduating from the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, Mr. Hayes spent nearly seven years studying under Jerry Paseicz at Triangle Strings. During his time at Triangle Strings he had the great opportunity to take on many complicated long term restoration projects along with a high volume of professional set up work. In 2020 he moved back to Salt Lake City and established R.F. Hayes Fine Violins, which specializes in contracted restoration work for violin shops and professional musicians on a national scale. In 2025 he was added to the permanent faculty of the ALI restoration workshop (formerly Oberlin violin restoration). Ryan enjoys spending his free time adventuring in the Rocky Mountains and Southern Utah with his family and friends.
Rosalie MacMillan
Ms. Macmillan received her Master’s Degree in violin performance from BYU, and has been violin teacher at VMSA since 1998.
