PETRA ZINNIKER, VIOLIN

Hello, my name is Petra Zinniker. I grew up in Germany, but have been living most of my adult live in the USA. My husband and I own a small organic farm in the East Troy area.

I grew up with music around me. My father played piano at home and this wonderful organ in our church. My grandma played piano and my aunt was a piano teacher. I started playing violin in third grade and had lessons until I graduated high school. I also played in a couple of school-related orchestras during that time, which allowed me to take part in a music exchange program and travel to Paris with the orchestra. During college I still continued playing violin here and there, but focused more on teaching myself how to play the flute and making music together with others.

I joined LGSO in 2001 when it was still called the Lake Geneva Community Orchestra under the leadership of Andy Dogan and just started its first season. I played with LGCO until around the time when Andy passed the leadership to David Anderson, when I had to take a break for personal reasons. With the encouragement from some former fellow orchestra members I re-joined  for the 2017-18 season and I was welcomed to come back to play 2nd violin once again. If I didn’t have the opportunity to play with a group like LGSO I most likely wouldn’t be playing at all. So I’m very grateful to be able to be part of this group. I learn so much from all the other players as well as all the knowledge that David is constantly sharing with us.

Favorite Pieces

Performing Beethoven 9 in 2019 was clearly one of the best experiences ever, but a couple of my other favorites from the LGCO time is Peter Boyer’s  “Ellis Island” and The Afro-American symphony by William Grant Still.