Naomi Rogers Hefley is an English violinist with twenty years of performing experience all over Europe. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Naomi started her musical training at the age of four when her father, himself a composer and pianist gave her a violin. She has been playing the violin ever since, studying with members of the Ulster Orchestra whilst a student at the City of Belfast School of Music and playing in a string quartet with her three sisters. She was exposed to early music as a young child, playing recorders and other renaissance instruments her father made in his spare time.

Naomi’s love of the baroque violin began at the Royal College of Music in London, where she studied under Catherine Macintosh, Alison Bury and Rachel Podger. She has performed with many British and French ensembles, including His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts, The Dufay Collective, Red Byrd, Chorale de Monteclair and The London Handel Orchestra, touring throughout Europe whilst living in London for 25 years. She taught violin at James Allen’s Girls School for eleven years and started the Junior South London Youth Orchestra for string players, teaching both classical style and the rudiments of jazz improvisation. This approach to learning proved very popular and the Orchestra quadrupled in size over the three short years of Naomi’s tenure.

Naomi has three violins, a modern violin made for her in 1981 by Peter Boardman in Belfast, a German violin circa 1850 which she uses to play electric violin with a pickup and a Baroque violin made in 1693 by Edward Pamphilon in his luthier shop on London Bridge. She relocated from London to Woodland in 2014 with her husband Mark, originally a native of Texas. In the last three years, Naomi has developed a thriving teaching studio where she has students ranging from 6 to 70 years old, learning in varied styles.

Naomi is a prolific performer and is a member of many of bands ranging from Celtic music to jazz, folk, country and western swing on electric violin. Her heart will always remain, however, in the baroque world. Naomi has been fortunate to have performed at the Mondavi Center with Michael Sand and Phebe Craig, is delighted to be a member of the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Capella Antiqua, Extreme Temperament and Two Baroque Girls. She also coaches baroque violin for Camerata Capistrano at Sacramento State University and the baroque program at Davis High School. In her free time she and her husband visit America’s stunning National Parks and enjoy exploring the beautiful California countryside, particularly the wine regions.

Naomi's violin was made in 1693 by Edward Pamphilon in his luthier shop on London Bridge.