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Dr. Andrew Towsey-Grishaw

Visiting Assistant Professor – Orchestra/High Strings
Biography

Andrew Cervantes Towsey-Grishaw, D.M.A, has been Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University since 2023. He is the director of the CSB+SJU Orchestra, teaches applied violin and viola, and music history. 

Prior to joining the faculty at CSB+SJU, he was the Interim Director of String Studies at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. Dr. Towsey-Grishaw was also a Teaching Artist for Violin/Viola with the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA), an education program run by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Born and raised in Turlock, California, Dr. Towsey-Grishaw earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music where he studied viola, instrumental conducting, and music education. He also holds degrees from the University of Miami, Frost School of Music (Master of Music), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Professional Studies Diploma), and the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music (Bachelor of Music). His principal conducting teachers are Larry J. Livingston and Sharon Lavery. His principal viola teachers include Karen Dreyfus, Jodi Levitz, and Basil Vendryes. 

Dr. Towsey-Grishaw leads a varied performance schedule that includes orchestral, chamber, and solo performance. The 2024-2025 season includes conducting appearances with the Saint Cloud Symphony, Amadeus Chamber Symphony, and the Central Lakes Conference HS Honor Orchestra. As a violist, he is a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony and has performed with the South Dakota, Saint Cloud, Pacific, New West, and Modesto Symphonies, among others. One of his musical passions is the performance of contemporary and underrepresented composers. In 2019, he was the featured soloist for the world premiere of the David Lockington Viola Concerto with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. 

Professional affiliations include the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), Minnesota String and Orchestra Teacher’s Association (MNSOTA), Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American Viola Society (AVS). In 2022, Dr. Towsey-Grishaw was selected by the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) to present his research “Culturally Responsive Music Teaching in Elementary Music Education” at the California All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC). 

Education
  • B.M., University of Denver
  • P.S.D., San Francisco Conservatory of Music
  • M.M., University of Miami
  • D.M.A., University of Southern California
Contact

Email: [email protected]

Office: CSB BAC D045