Alena Carter

Alena Carter (nee Merimee) earned her degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2012. With the encouragement of her teacher, Paul Kantor, she fulfilled a deep love for the music of J.S. Bach by playing all six of his sonatas and partitas for solo violin for her senior recital. The final three of the six were recorded shortly after her graduation, to become the album "Chiaroscuro". After a gap year touring with pianist and composer Eric Genuis, she backpacked through the British Isles with her best friend, met the love of her life, unexpectedly went to Wyoming Catholic College for two years, and much to everyone's surprise, got married, moved to Michigan, and settled down to having a family.

Alena now resides in the Ann Arbor area with her husband, Jack, and their three children. While most of her time is spent keeping everyone at home alive and happy, she still finds time to play violin as a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and a freelance musician, and loves to fiddle with friends just for fun.