About
Meet The Founders
Randall Manning
Randall is a professional violinist who currently lives in the greater Fox Valley area. He has earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Music Performance.
His higher education began in 2011 at the University Of Minnesota, Twin Cities where he was a recipient of the Ora May Welch Scholarship. While studying, Randall had the opportunity to play in several ensembles and perform with professionals such as the acclaimed Joffrey Ballet Company. Randall’s studies at the university included Suzuki violin teacher-training by his professor, Mark Bjork.
After his undergraduate studies, Randall went on to complete a Master’s Degree at Louisiana State University. While in Baton Rouge, Randall held positions in several orchestras including the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony, Rapides Symphony, and he frequently played with the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans.
In addition to performing professionally, Randall was also a member of several non-profit organizations as a musician and administrator.
Randall is an active musician in the Fox Valley area, he performs regularly with the Fox Valley Symphony and other ensembles.
Florence Strings was founded by Anna and Randy in 2020.
They met while studying at LSU and were married in 2019.
They also own a music and arts school called Aurora Institute for the Arts located in Appleton, WI. They offer Suzuki violin, viola and cello lessons to children and adults.
Anna Herrera-Manning
Anna is a professional cellist originally from Caracas, Venezuela. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance from Louisiana State University and she is an active musician in the Fox Valley area.
Before moving to Appleton, she performed with many ensembles in the Baton Rouge area including Opéra Louisiane, Louisiana Sinfonietta and the New Orleans Opera. She was the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and a member of the cello section of the Baton Rouge Symphony. Back in her hometown, she performed with the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra and the Caracas Municipal Orchestra.
In addition to performing, Anna is also a passionate teacher. She has been a member of several non-profit organizations working as a music teacher and arts administrator.
Anna is a certified Suzuki cello teacher and she currently holds a private cello studio in Appleton. To learn more about Anna and her cello studio go to her website anna-herrera.com
Meet other team members
