Athena Quartet

Alison Stanford Mueller, violin

Alison Stanford Mueller, MMEd, a certified Suzuki Violin Instructor, resides in Oconee County where she has been an active violin performer and educator for two decades. Alison grew up in a musical family and began studying and playing violin with the Suzuki Strings of Augusta at the age of 2. She runs an active Suzuki Violin Studio and has been teaching workshops for over 15 years. Her focus as a violin teacher is to train the “whole” child by using the insight and discipline provided by Dr. Suzuki and his method.  In addition to her violin studio Alison has experience as an orchestra and general music education teacher for students in Athens Clarke County School District.  Mrs. Mueller earned her Bachelors degree in Violin Performance and a Masters in Music Education from the University of Georgia. 

Mrs. Mueller is one of the founding members of Athena Quartet and a member of several regional Orchestras including the Symphony Orchestra of Augusta and frequently plays with various Ensembles throughout Georgia and the Carolinas. 

Mrs. Mueller’s first loves are her timpanist husband, Todd and their three children.

Rachael Fischer, violin

Originally from Ringgold, Georgia, Dr. Rachael Fischer began her Suzuki violin studies at the age of four. She was named the winner of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association’s Concerto Competition in 2000, and the winner of the University of Georgia Concerto Competition in 2004. Rachael has also attended several summer music festivals including the Meadowmount School of Music in New York. She has performed in master classes for many renowned violinists including Brian Lewis, Walter Verdehr, and Stanley Ritchie. As a chamber musician, Dr. Fischer has performed in master classes for members of the Parisii, Ebene, Tokyo, St. Lawrence, and Juilliard string quartets, and has been invited to perform at several national and international events as a member of a violin-saxophone duo. Rachael holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the University of Georgia, a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia. She currently teaches Suzuki violin in UGA’s Community Music School, and music courses at Georgia Gwinnett College, Piedmont College, and the University of Georgia.

Jennifer Stewart Norris, violin/viola

Jennifer Stewart Norris, MMEd, a native Athenian, has played the violin since the age of six.  Mrs. Norris is the former master teacher for the University of Georgia School of Music ASTA String Project, as well as the former orchestra director for Clarke Central High School and Clarke Middle School.  Mrs. Norris’s public school teaching career began in Gwinnett County Georgia at Collins Hill High School and Duluth Middle School, while her private teaching career began as a UGA School of Music student, employed by the UGA Pre-College Music Program (now known as the UGA Community Music School.)  Mrs. Norris holds both bachelor and master’s degrees in music education from the University of Georgia.  While a University student, Mrs. Norris was selected to perform for world-famous violinist, Pinchas Zuckerman, and she played regularly with the UGA Symphony Orchestra, including a two-week concert tour throughout Italy in the summer of 1997.  Prior to college, she studied at Miss Porter’s School for girls in Farmington, Connecticut, Athens Academy, and Athens Christian School.  Jennifer enjoys international travel, amateur photography, singing,  song writing, playing guitar, knitting, and chasing after two young children.  She currently teaches private violin lessons, and works part time for her husband, Judge Eric W. Norris.