Melissa (née Tatreau) Holtmeier has been a full-time Artist-Faculty member at the OCoM since 2005 and currently serves as the String Department Chair. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance/Pedagogy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Holtmeier studied pedagogy with Darcy Drexler through the Wisconsin String Academy and has studied violin with Dr. Paul Todd, Dr. Laura Kobayashi, Ms. Anne Nagosky, and Dr. Myron Kartman. Melissa has registered Suzuki training in violin books 1-7 with Susan Kempter and Ruth Meints.  Melissa has attended Mark O’Connor’s fiddle camps in San Diego and New York City. She was in the very first teacher certification class of the Mark O’Connor Violin Method, books 1 and 2 in NYC and later made use of the lockdown by completing books 3 and 4 training online.  Melissa was thrilled to host Mark O’Connor and Maggie O’Connor for a student workshop and performance at the OCoM in January of 2020.

Melissa has completed her 200 RYT in yoga.  She is a big hit at OCoM’s summer camps and has presented “Yoga for Musicians” to musicians all over the country including the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, and at the American String Teachers’ Association (ASTA) national conventions in Louisville, Tampa, and Atlanta. In 2019, Holtmeier was awarded Outstanding Private Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska chapter of ASTA.  She also served as NE-ASTA’s state president in 2020-2022.  In 2022-2024, Holtmeier served on ASTA’s national studio teacher committee.   Melissa is a current board member of the Omaha Musicians’ Union (local 70-558), the Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, and the Omaha Conservatory of Music.

As a professional musician, Holtmeier has performed on violin/viola with Mary J. Blige, Bobby Vinton, Frank Sinatra Jr., Rod Stewart, Josh Groban, Pam Tillis, The Lettermen, Michael W. Smith, Johnny Mathis, Michael Buble, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jane Lynch, Idina Menzel, The Eagles and Mannheim Steamroller. You can catch Melissa on Mannheim’s PBS special: 30/40 LIVE! She contracts the local orchestra which plays several cities on their annual tour. She is a founding member, 1st violinist and contractor of the Mahr String Quartet which books 70 events each year. In her years of experience playing with the Omaha and Lincoln Symphonies, Holtmeier has had the opportunity to play both great works and accompany some of her violin heroes–Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Philippe Quint, Sarah Chang, and Midori. Melissa has toured China and the U.S. with the Mantovani Orchestra, played a Salute to Vienna New Year’s concert tour in Southern Florida, and performed in several midwest cities with Billy McGuigan’s band.  Perhaps her most favorite, Holtmeier has performed as a local with the Broadway tours Little House on the Prairie, Westside Story, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon (3x), Kinky Boots, Newsies, Cinderella, Phantom of the Opera (3x), Something Rotten, The Sound of Music, The Little Mermaid, The King and I and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.

In her free time, Melissa likes to practice yoga, go to sushi with friends and chill with her family: photographer hubby Chris Holtmeier, their equestrian daughter Ella, and goofy-floof Goldendoodle Bowie.

What to expect in lessons with Melissa:

• A safe space to be yourself and make mistakes.
• Strong pedagogy background with emphasis on a healthy setup to sustain enjoyment and lifelong playing.
• Repertoire customized to each individual student’s goals + needs: Suzuki, Barbara Barber, Royal Conservatory of Music and O’Connor Method/fiddling…
• Scales, études exercises + note reading built into lessons to support the ease of learning repertoire and create a deeper understanding of music theory.
• Learn HOW to practice to maximize time + create positive experiences both at home and when performing: building self-confidence, intrinsic motivation and the love of sharing the GIFT of music.