A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Erin Kaste began studying violin at the age of three. She graduated with highest distinction from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied violin performance with Charles Castleman and Suzuki pedagogy with Anastasia Jempelis. Prior to her arrival in Memphis, she taught orchestra and Suzuki violin in the Ector County (TX) school district and served as assistant concertmaster of the Midland/Odessa Symphony. She has performed orchestral and chamber music in much of the United States and in Japan, China, Hong Kong, and the former Soviet Union.
Her summer endeavors include performances with the Music at Penn's Woods and Ohio Light Opera festivals and studies at the Quartet Program, currently at SUNY Fredonia. A strong supporter of music in the schools, Ms. Kaste has worked extensively with children throughout the mid-south both alone and as a member of chamber ensembles, including her MSO string quartet. For several years, Ms. Kaste taught in the University of Memphis Suzuki String program and served as assistant director of the Memphis Suzuki Institute each summer from 1999-2009. She is currently involved in the Memphis Suzuki community as the parent of two young violinists.