Dr. Charles Heiden

Charles Heiden is an iconoclastic jubilado – rejoicing in retirement, seeking new ways. His private studio for teaching violin and viola, tests new teachings. “Heiden Music Publications” his forum for composing, arranging, and orchestrating, publishes string teaching materials, with emphasis on music theory from a string perspective.

Dr. Heiden is a retired Professor of Music who served mainly Willamette University (1960 – 1976) where he founded the Salem Symphony (predecessor of the Salem Chamber Orchestra), and Central Oregon Community College (1981 – 1994) where he conducted the Central Oregon Symphony.

Abetted by his wife Jean, Dr. Heiden established a Joseph Haydn Festival in Coos Bay / North Bend, now continuing as the South Coast Festival, and in Bend/Redmond another Haydn Festival that lives on until 2008 as the Cascades Music Festival. “Our magnificent failures”, he sighs. Dr. Heiden served as concertmaster of the Peter Britt Festival in Jacksonville Oregon for its first seven years. He has performed extensively with his wife Jean in duo programs with piano or pipe organ. From 1994 to 1998, the Heidens sojourned in Mexico where Dr. Heiden served as concertmaster and mentor for a state supported chamber orchestra. Born in 1930 at St. Louis, Dr. Heiden studied violin with Angel Reyes at Northwestern University, earning the doctorate in violin performance in 1961.