LPS graduate inspires current orchestra students with international achievements

September 10, 2025

Lincoln High graduate Annemarie Schubert has played violin for members of the Dutch Consulate, earned a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and toured around the world with award-winning groups.
 
And the first notes of that successful career started in Rhonda Neely’s orchestra ensemble at Sheridan Elementary School.
 
Schubert is a shining example of how Lincoln Public Schools can jumpstart bright futures in all areas of education. She and other LPS alumni are using the skills they gained in Lincoln to become role models for a new generation of musicians.
 
Schubert became involved in Sheridan’s orchestra program and the Youth Ensemble of Strings (YES) soon after her family moved to Lincoln. Neely laid a firm foundation for Schubert’s violin-playing talents with her caring mentorship in both activities. Schubert has carried those memories with her to concert stages in North America, Europe and Asia during the opening stanzas of her professional life.
 
“I think fundamentally the most important person at my time in LPS was Ms. Neely, who led the string program at Sheridan Elementary School and conducted YES,” Schubert said. “Both of these were my first ensemble experiences, and her warm-yet-disciplined classes were always fun.”
 
Schubert is now serving as a major influence in the life of Lincoln High sophomore Sophia, who earned a spot in last year’s All-State Orchestra. She first learned about Schubert’s talents from Brett Noser, who leads varsity and prep orchestras at LHS and is the music department chairperson. Sophia said it is exciting to know that the smooth violin notes she hears in Schubert’s ensembles are coming from a former Link.
 
“Mr. Noser has talked about Annemarie Schubert before, and the quartet she plays in sounds like it will do amazing things,” Sophia said. “Starting in high school, and even middle school, orchestras can really help students like me figure out if professional string playing is something you want to do when you’re older. The LHS orchestra helps students build on their skills, so if they want to play professionally later in life, they are able to do so!”

 
LPS alumni like Schubert have also inspired Northwest High School senior Hathaway and Lincoln High junior Laurelin. Both were selected to be All-State Orchestra violin players last year.
 
“It is very encouraging to know that LPS graduates are now professional orchestra musicians because it reassures me and others that making this part of a career is possible, and in a variety of ways,” Hathaway said.
 
“I think it’s wonderful that LPS graduates have become professionals,” Laurelin said. “It gives me hope that I can also do great things once I graduate. Whether it’s in music or some other subject, it’s encouraging to see that LPS graduates are able to achieve great things.”
 
Sophia, Hathaway and Laurelin said they understand why LPS has been a good training ground for musicians. Thirty-nine LPS students were selected either as participants or alternates for last year’s All-State Orchestra. More importantly, the orchestra programs have promoted student well-being by giving them confidence, camaraderie and a feeling of accomplishment.
 
“I think the best part about the orchestra programs in LPS is that there’s a sense of community that makes it easy to feel safe and accepted within the group,” Laurelin said.
 
“I have enjoyed taking part in orchestra programs at LPS because of the community it builds,” Sophia said. “Every orchestra has a connection with each other and the other music students at the high school. In the LHS orchestra, we are all super comfortable with working with one another and supporting each other.”
 
North Star High School graduate Ian Wright said LPS teachers strengthen that classroom unity by remaining active musicians. Wright, who leads classes at Pound Middle School and Zeman Elementary School, is also part of Lincoln Symphony Orchestra’s string bass section.
 
“The music-making process is why most – if not all – of us got into teaching, and without opportunities to perform or create, we lose something that connects us to our subject area,” Wright said. “Sometimes rehearsing and performing with the symphony after a long day of teaching can be challenging and tiring. But when I get to do it, I’m able to better relate to my students who are doing the same thing every day in my class.”

 
Schubert said her LPS years were filled with many supportive teachers, including Neely, Noser and Irving Middle School music instructor Mike Robb. They encouraged her to chase her goals with determination and perseverance.
 
“It’s true that it takes a lot of work to ‘make it,’” Schubert said. “Not just the hours practicing or studying, but also the entrepreneurial skills and resilience you have to develop to be an artist today. I remember how disappointed I was when I received my first rejection from a music festival in high school. But as Principal Mark Larson always said, ‘LHS got grit!’”
 
After double majoring in violin performance and neuroscience at Oberlin College and Conservatory, Schubert earned a master’s degree in violin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She then earned a second master’s degree in historical performance from The Juilliard School.
 
Schubert recently traveled to the United Kingdom and China with Juilliard415, the performing early music ensemble of The Juilliard School, and she is a member of the New York City-based Quartet Novalis. She has also founded a historical music ensemble called As The Crow Flies (ATCF). Quartet Novalis and ATCF have both earned acclaim in classical music circles, and they have allowed her to use her passport in places like France, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

 
Sophia said Schubert’s success is proof that LPS buildings are places where musical dreams can become reality.
 
“Seeing someone like Annemarie in that position is really encouraging for me because it shows that anyone is capable of doing great things, and it all starts with playing in LPS orchestras,” Sophia said.
 
Want to learn more about how LPS music programs are giving students key life skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork? Visit home.lps.org/music to discover how LPS musicians are flourishing in their elementary, middle and high school classrooms.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

---