Teacher profiles
Ask the Teacher - Mark Bjork
The Suzuki teacher trainer and violin pedagogue advises students on how to keep the attention of a class, and emphasises the importance of repetition
Shinichi Suzuki’s international acclaim
Casals, Galamian and Menuhin are just a few great string players who have expressed their admiration for the violin pedagogue, as illustrated by William Starr
Bringing the Suzuki Method to the UK
In the 1960s and 70s, the Suzuki Method was already making waves around the world. Caroline Heslop writes about Helen Brunner’s challenge to bring the teaching method to the UK, in this extract from September 2000.
The Suzuki method: A visionary with a violin
Startled by children’s ability to learn their own language, Shin’ichi Suzuki applied the ‘mother-tongue’ approach to violin teaching. William Starr explains the principles behind his then-revolutionary ideas in this article from December 1998
Baiba Skride: Life Lessons
The Latvian violinist recalls growing up in a musical family, and stresses the importance of hard work
Paul Neubauer: Sentimental Work
The US violist explores Joan Tower’s solo viola work Wild Purple, a testament to the close working relationship between the composer and the performer. From the November 2016 issue
Leon Bosch: Life Lessons
The acclaimed solo and chamber bassist stresses the importance of self-reliance and self-discipline in building a meaningful career and life
Paul Silverthorne: Life Lessons
The principal violist of the London Sinfonietta on the importance of reassessing our musical opinions and the necessity of rethinking music education
How I started teaching students in Mozambique over Zoom
Violinist Darragh Morgan shares his experience of teaching students 8000 miles away
Edgar Meyer on the Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite no.2
For the American double bassist and composer, what began as a pathway to technical expertise became a lifetime’s voyage of musical exploration. From the November 2015 issue
10 tips for a successful conservatoire audition
Mark Messenger, head of strings at the Royal College of Music, reveals what conservatoire audition panels are looking for