Board of Directors

Serving The VSA Community

The VSA Board of Directors brings together leading violin makers, restorers, dealers and industry professionals who volunteer their expertise to advance the mission of The VSA. Our board members represent diverse aspects of the string instrument world, from traditional craftsmanship to modern business practices, ensuring that The VSA continues to serve our members and the broader musical community.

Officers

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Brandon Godman

President

Brandon started working in a violin shop while in high school, and now owns The Violin Shop in Nashville, TN, and The Fiddle Mercantile in San Francisco, CA. He’s also a professional fiddler and maintains an active tour schedule performing with various artists, including Grammy Award winner Laurie Lewis. Brandon hosted the wildly popular “Tin Can Fiddle Challenge” at the 2022 and 2024 VSA Conventions and co-chaired the Programming Committee 2023-2024. He began the presidential cycle in 2024.

He can be reached at president@vsaweb.org.

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Kate Flanders

President Elect, 1st Vice President, Programming Committee Chair

Kate Flanders studied violin making at the North Bennet Street School. She worked in the workshop of Reuning and Son Violins during her time in school, and continued there after graduation. In 2013, she joined the workshop of Carriage House Violins. She has participated in the Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop and Learning Trade Secrets. This year, she began working full time as a violin maker, sharing a workshop with her husband, Andrew Ryan. They have three children and live in Providence, Rhode Island..

Kate performs regularly on viola with the Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra, and enjoys chamber music with family and friends.

She can be reached at presidentelect@vsaweb.org.

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Julian Cossmann Cooke

Past President

Julian is a violin maker based in Austin, TX. He attended the Violin Making School of America after a career with the US government. Cossmann Violins offers newly commissioned instruments as well as instrument repair and restoration services to the Austin area. Julian has been a member of the VSA Board of Directors since 2018 and served as President of The VSA from 2022 to 2024.

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Anya Burgess

2nd Vice President and Chair, Membership & Marketing Committee

Anya owns and operates Sola Violins, a full-service violin shop in the heart of Lafayette, LA. Her training began at Indiana University's violinmaking program and has continued for many years at Oberlin Restoration and now the ALI Restoration Workshop. Anya also performs regularly on fiddle with two Cajun bands.

Anya was elected to the VSA Board of Directors in 2020 and is currently serving her 2nd term as Chair of the Membership and Marketing Committee. She can be reached at membershipchair@vsaweb.org.

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Charles F Tucker IV

Secretary

Charles is a violin enthusiast and future violin maker who lives in Houston, TX. He was elected to the VSA Board of Directors in 2022 after a successful career working abroad for a major multinational energy company. He brings his vast organizational and professional experience to the role of Board Secretary.

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Chris Clark

Treasurer

Chris is co-owner of Top Notch Violins in St. Louis, MO, where he focuses on business operations and leading a large team. Has served as treasurer of the VSA since 2020, and oversees the VSA balance sheet and investment accounts.

Members

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Joe Joyner

Co-Chair, Competition Committee

Joe has owned and operated Little Rock Violin Shop in Little Rock, AR, since 2007. His prior experience includes attending the Bow Making School of America and working at the Lisle Violin Shop. Joe curated the New Instrument Exhibit for the 2021 and 2022 VSA Conventions, and currently serves as co-chair of the Competition committee.

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Chris Ulbricht

Member

Chris runs Indianapolis Violins with his wife, Laura Barcelo. A graduate of the Violin Making School of America, Chris builds violins and cellos in addition to running the daily operations of his shop, Indianapolis Violins. Chris has been a member of the VSA Board since 2018 and served as Programming Chair for the 2021 and 2022 conventions.

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Florence Haseler

Member

Florence is an experienced auction professional and musician based in New York. In 2012 she joined Tarisio Fine Instrument & Bows in London and rose to General Manager and Head of Auctions, overseeing major operations and client development, before advancing to the role of Business Manager for Christie’s departments of Impressionist & Modern Art and Post-War & Contemporary Art in 2024. A graduate of the University of York with a BA in Music, Florence is classically trained in viola and piano performance. She has also served on the Steering Committee of Lincoln Center Young Patrons.

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Laura C. Barceló

Member

Laura Barceló is the Director of Operations at Three Sixty Group, an Indianapolis-based advertising agency. In addition to her work in advertising, she is co-owner of Indianapolis Violins, a full-service violin shop. She holds an MBA from Indiana University as well as degrees in violin performance from Butler University and the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University.

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Kathy Reilly

Member

Kathy is the co-owner of Vermont Violins and the Burlington Violin Shop, which she has operated with her husband since founding the business in 1994. A violinist by training with a degree from Oberlin College and a Master of Science in Botany from the University of Vermont, Kathy combines her passion for music and environmental stewardship in her work. She serves on the board of the Alliance-International, focusing on sustainable wood initiatives, and collaborates with violin making schools worldwide to integrate environmental practices into their curricula. In addition to running her shop, she teaches, performs, and advocates for building a vibrant, sustainable musical community in her home state of Vermont.

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Bill Scott

Co-Chair, Competition Committee

Bill Scott is an award winning violin maker who got his start at Hans Weisshaar’s famed Los Angeles shop. There he performed many of the repairs that would become part of Weisshaar and Shipman’s book, “Violin Restoration.” Bill now runs Scott Studios near Minneapolis, MN, where he builds violins, violas and cellos. Bill served as President of The VSA from 2020 to 2022 and currently serves as co-chair of the Competition committee.

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Julius Van de Kopple | CAS Forum Representative

Chair, Scholarship and Grants Committee & CAS Forum

Julius (Jay) runs an upright bass shop in Midland Park, NJ, and is a performing bassist. He is chair of the CAS Forum, a group that brings together acousticians and violin makers to further musical acoustics research, and a group that resulted from the merger of the Catgut Acoustical Society and the VSA in 2004.

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Sebastian Schwelm

Chair, Partnerships Committee

Sebastian Schwelm is a violin restorer specializing in the conservation, restoration, and setup of fine stringed instruments. A member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers and a long-term participant in the ALI Restoration Workshop (formerly Oberlin), Sebastian operates a private workshop in Durham, North Carolina, dedicated to comprehensive violin restoration projects. He serves as the Chair of the VSA Partnerships Committee, where he manages strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and advertising opportunities with the VSA.

Sebastian can be reached for professional inquiries at partnerships@vsaweb.org.