Dr. josephine liu moerschel

("Dr. Jo") is the Executive and Artistic Director of Elemental Music and directs the Elemental Strings Chamber Orchestra. She has been on the faculty of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, and the Long Beach City College. Josephine has also served as co-director of the Los Angeles branch of Junior Chamber Music and ViolaFest Los Angeles. Josephine sits on the boards of the Southern California Viola Society and the Greater Los Angeles Area branch of the American String Teachers' Association.

Josephine can frequently be heard in the viola sections of many southern California ensembles. She is a member of the New West Symphony, and has performed with many other groups in LA, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale and Long Beach Symphony.

As a highly sought after private teacher and instructor, she has maintained a violin and viola studio on the westside for fifteen years. Josephine has taught for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified District in a variety of capacities, including as a sectional coach for Santa Monica High School and sectionals coach at John Adams Middle School and Lincoln Middle School. Her students have been heard performing in leading youth orchestras in Los Angeles, as well as conservatories and music festivals across the country. Josephine has also served as a consultant for the LA Phil Education Department.

Josephine received a doctorate in viola performance from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. Her primary teachers include Roger Myers, Donald McInnes, Masao Kawasaki and Catharine Carroll.

She lives in Culver City with her husband, Calder Quartet violist Jonathan Moerschel, their two daughters, Zoe and Audrey, and their quirky and elderly pets (an 18 year old cockatiel, and two cockapoos, both over the ages of 13). In “all” her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and playing monster with her girls.