As Fiddleheads' owner I provide this list of my symphony and orchestra colleagues who teach violin and viola lessons as a courtesy to my customers seeking teachers. *Note I have not personally studied with any of these teachers and cannot attest for them or their teaching skills.
Be sure to mention you were referred by me, Rhiannon, at Fiddleheads. You may also like to read my article on teaching yourself to play, "Be Your Own Teacher."
Rhiannon's Violin Teacher Colleagues Offering Online Lessons (Alphabetical)
Antonio Bernal-King
Location: Veracruz, Mexico
Time Zone: GTM-6
Payout Currency: Mexican Peso/US dollar
Instrument/s: Violin/Viola
Method/s: Royal Conservatory/ AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board), Suzuki, Traditional Method
Style/s: Classical
Serving Ages: 8 - adult
Levels: Preferably students with at least one year
Teaching Since: coming soon
Antonio completed his undergrad in Music Performance at the prestigious University of Indiana School of Music and a Master’s in Violin/Viola Performance from the University of British Columbia in 1996. He performed as a violinist and violist in several North American orchestras including the Vancouver Symphony and the National Symphony of Mexico.
In Vancouver he worked as conductor of the North Chamber Strings Orchestra and as a violin/viola teacher at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Antonio also worked extensively as a studio musician, and his numerous movie and soundtrack recordings include Grammy-award albums with Simple Plan, Nickelback and Brian Adams. Freelance work involved bands, including Tango Paradiso, which recorded two albums: “Post Nuevo Tango” 2006 and “Tango Paradiso”, which was nominated for a Westcoast Award in 2002. Antonio alsofounded Mariachi del Sol as musical director and toured North America.
After moving to Brisbane in 2007, he joined the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and served as Principal Viola in the Camerata of St. Johns. In 2012 he toured with the Köln Chamber Orchestra (Germany) as principal Viola through Australia. Alongside his performance work, Antonio taught regularly at Villanova, St. Margarets and Clayfield College, as well as undertaking private teaching, studio recording work and travels frequently to Canada to work with many orchestras throughout British Columbia such as Island Symphony Orchestra, Prince George, Kamloops, and Victoria Symphony. His broad musical background has shaped Antonio into a musician who is confident performing and teaching a variety of musical styles to students of all ages.
Web: coming soon
Email: antoniob79@hotmail.com
Serena Eades
Location: Sunshine Coast, Vancouver and ONLINE
Time Zone: Pacific Time
Payout Currency: CAD or USD
Instrument/s: Violin/Fiddle, (possibly viola), beginner piano
Method/s: Suzuki (not strictly), Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Fiddle (often reference Fiddleworks book series)
Style/s: Classical to gr. 9 RCM, Fiddle (Celtic, Old time, Bluegrass, Canadian)
Serving Ages: 3+
Levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
Teaching Since: Myself since 1997, my other Senior instructor since 2000, Junior instructors since 2018
Serena Eades’ unique style reflects a lifetime of studying western classical music and various folk idioms. She has been teaching music for 23 years and believes in the power of an educator to inspire and guide the next generation of musicians towards excellence and fulfillment through music.
With a B.Mus. from the Berklee College of Music and a B. Mus. from Brandon University in addition to many years in the music industry she is at home as a performer, recording artist and educator. She is known as a member of Delhi 2 Dublin, and has performed with many artists around the world. Serena’s distinct sound is rich, full bodied, textured, and animated.
Web: www.serenasmusicacademy.com
Email: info@serenaeades.com
Blythe Heywood
Location: Halifax, NSTime Zone: Atlantic Daylight Time
Payout Currency: CAD
Instrument/s: French horn, violin
Method/s: A system I developed is a combination of fun pieces tailored to each student's musical interests, as well as standard classical repertoire. This gives students a solid musical background, as well as keeping the lightheartedness of music alive. Playing music ought to bring one joy, and that is something we must keep nurturing!
Style/s: Classical, Fiddle (violin only), Pop
Serving Ages: violin: 6 and up; French horn: 9 and up
Levels: violin: beginner - Intermediate; French horn: Beginner - Advanced
Teaching Since: 2009 -- Fun Fact: Rhiannon taught Blythe in the early 2000s
Blythe Heywood was born on the edge of the outback in Australia, and grew up in Kingfisher, a small community outside of Enderby, BC. As the youngest in a musical family, she was handed the violin and French horn to play (she had to learn the piano as well). At age 17 she completed a Diploma in Violin Performance from England's Thames Valley University in England. She later attended Brandon University in Manitoba, where she graduated with greatest distinction in Horn Performance, as well as continuing her violin studies on the side.
Elyse Jacobson
Location: Vancouver, BC and ONLINE
Time Zone: PST
Payout Currency: CAD
Instrument/s: Violin, Viola
Methods: Combination
Style: Classical
Serving Ages: 5 through adult
Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Teaching Since: 1999
Seattle native Elyse Jacobson began studying the violin at the age of five and completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance at the University of British Columbia. An award-winning chamber musician, she has had the privilege of receiving mentorship from members of the Kronos, Penderecki, and St. Lawrence quartets, among many others, and was a two-time semifinalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
She is Assistant Concertmaster of the Kamloops Symphony, Concertmaster of the Plastic Acid Orchestra, and has performed in other symphony orchestras all over BC and Washington state. Elyse enjoys a richly diverse musical career: in addition to regular classical performances, she has also performed and recorded with such artists as Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Marianas Trench, Father John Misty, Sarah Slean, and numerous others, and tours frequently with classical-crossover group Vivace.
Elyse has been teaching violin lessons to students of all ages and ability levels for over 20 years. She has been a member of the violin faculty at St. James Music Academy, the British Columbia Conservatory of Music, and Beethoven at Home.
Website: www.elysetheviolinist.com
Email: elysetheviolinist at gmail dot com (kindly tell her Fiddleheads referred you)
Joan King
Location: Surrey, BC, Canada
Time Zone: Pacific Time
Payout Currency: US or Canadian dollars
Instrument: Violin
Methods: Suzuki or Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) or a combination of the two
Style: Classical
Serving Ages: 5+ (Younger students MUST have a parent learn as well, and be present …virtually…at the lessons.)
Levels: ALL (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
Teaching Since: I was 11 years old
My passion has been symphonic music. I played in most all of the symphonies in Mexico City, Toluca Estado de Mexico and Xalapa, Veracruz
I spent a year in Washington, DC, freelancing and studying in 1980, and have participated in Master Classes from time to time.
I moved to Canada in 1986 and joined the Victoria Symphony, from which I retired in 2006. Playing in an orchestra, however, remains a passion for me. I play for fun in the New Westminster Symphony and in the West Coast Symphony.
Musical Education: Sidney Humphreys (Victoria Conservatory) - Paul Kling (U. of Victoria) - Ernesto Tarrago, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico - Robert Gerle (Catholic University) - Enrique Espin Yepez (Conservatory of Mexico) - Luis S. Saloma (Concertmaster, OSN Mexico) - Enrique Espin Yepez (Conservatory of Mexico) - Henryk Szeryng (Masterclass) - Vladimir Wulfmann (Conservatory of Mexico) - Albert Gillis (San Jose State, CA) - Foothill College (Los Altos, CA) -Elizabeth Kincade (Palo Alto, CA)
Orchestral Experience: Victoria Symphony (87-04) -&Colorado Music Festival Orchestra (93-96) - Xalapa Symphony (80-87) - Freelance musician, Washington, D.C.; American Camarata, National Symphony, Washington Sinfonia, Beethoven Pops, etc. (79-80) - National Symphony of Mexico (77-79) - Assistant Concertmaster, Mexico State Symphony (75-77) - National Symphony of Mexico (74-75) - Mexico State Symphony (71-74) - Mexico City Opera Orchestra (68-71)
Teaching Experience: Private lessons, Surrey, BC (07-present) - Douglas College, New Westminster, BC (08-12) - Victoria Conservatory of Music, BC (87-07) - Private lessons, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (80-87) - Academy Do-Re-Mi, Mexico City (77-79)
Email: jking2005@shaw.ca
Tatiana Kostour
Location: Victoria, BC and ONLINETime zone: pacific time
Payout: Canadian dollars
Instrument: violin
Method: traditional, Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM)
Style: classical
Ages: 8-80
Levels: all
Teaching since: 1984
Violinist Ms. Tatiana Kostour is a graduate of the Kiev Conservatory of Music. Believing in life-long learning, Tatiana has continued to polish her teaching techniques over the years, and has achieved a very high level of success. Many of her students have won Gold and Silver medals from The Royal Conservatory of Music and placed first in The National Canadian Music Competitions.
Her love of music together with her warm personality, her unique interpretations of music, and her attention to detailed work on the techniques of violin playing, is reflected through the high quality performances of her students.
In 1993 Tatiana immigrated from the Ukraine to Canada, and in 1999 she completed a 3-year Diploma in Performance from Wilfred Laurier University. She has performed with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Brantford Symphony, London Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, Niagara Symphony, Kiev National Radio and Television Symphony, and also with many chamber ensembles.
In 2007 she produced a series of six CD’s under the title “Royal Sequence” for violin students preparing for Royal Conservatory violin exams.
Joanna Lee
Location: Vancouver, BC and ONLINE
Time Zone: Pacific Time
Payout Currency: CAD
Instrument/s: Violin
Method/s: Suzuki, Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) , standard audition repertoire, orchestral excerpts
Style/s: Classical
Serving Ages: 5+
Levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
Teaching Since: 2005
Korean-Canadian Violinist, Joanna Lee has been involved in music since the age of three with piano lessons. At five, she started the violin. She has worked with several world-class artists, competed internationally, and is a winner of several grants and awards.
Currently, she is finishing up a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree at UBC school of Music. Miss Lee performs regularly as a soloist, chamber musician and an orchestral member. She is also an active member in the teaching community where her students are award-winners at local festivals and top medal-winners of RCM Exams.
Her educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Music at the prestigious McGill University and a Master of Musical Arts at the New Zealand School of Music. She has attended several internationally-renowned music festivals such as Banff Centre for the Arts and Summit Music Festival. Music Critic Lindis Taylor has praised her performance as confident, polished, with an intuitive instinct.
Email: violinist.jo@gmail.com
Website: www.music4seasons.com
Erin Macdonald
Location: North Vancouver, BC
Time Zone: PST
Payout Currency: CND
Instrument/s: violin/fiddle and viola
Method/s: Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) & Suzuki
Style/s: Classical and Scottish fiddle
Serving Ages: 5 and up. Adult beginners welcome.
Levels: All levels. Beginner through advanced violin. Beginner through collegiate viola.
Teaching Since: 2002
Violist Erin Macdonald enjoys an active freelance and teaching career in Vancouver, performing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and other regional ensembles, and is a faculty member of the Vancouver Academy of Music. A native of the Sunshine Coast, Erin recently returned to the West Coast after completing her Masters of Music at the University of Ottawa with Rennie Regehr and her Alexander Technique Teacher Certification with Brigitte Caron.
While in Ottawa, Erin served as Senior String Director of OrKidstra, an El Sistema inspired program promoting music as a means to empower youth and create social change. Ms. Macdonald has been a member of the Ottawa and Gatineau Symphonies and had an active violin and viola studio with Ottawa Suzuki Strings.
Ms. Macdonald holds additional degrees from The Royal Conservatory of Music (Art. Dip), where she studied with Steven Dann, and the University of Victoria (B.Mus), where she studied with Joanna Hood and the Lafayette String Quartet.
Email: erinmacd at icloud dot com (kindly tell her Fiddleheads referred you)
Jessica Tseng, MMus
Principal of North Shore School of Talent Education
Location: Vancouver, Canada (can also travel)
Time Zone: PST
Payout Currency: NTD (New Taiwan Dollar), American, and Canadian
Instrument/s: violin, viola, cello, piano, er hu, zhon hu, mandolin, mandola
Method/s: Suzuki and mix of other books
Style/s: Classical, bits of Fiddle, Jazz/Swing, Klezmer, Chinese
Serving Ages: Age 3 and up or group lessons
Levels: All levels
Teaching Since: 2005
Jessica Tseng is a violinist, performer, and educator in Canada. She has received her Masters from the University of British Columbia in the Spring of 2015, Music Together certificate, and a registered Suzuki teacher specializing in Violin Performance and chamber music. She offers expert instruction in violin, viola, cello, piano, along with a full array of musical experiences designed to provide an extraordinary musical education, preparing students for a lifetime of music making at the highest level, regardless of professional aspirations.
During her many summers, she has participated in many festivals including NAO (National Academy Orchestra), North Orchestra, AMF (Atlantic Music Fest), and more. In 2015, she furthered her study by studying pedagogy and Suzuki philosophy under Charles Krigbuam. She has been profoundly influenced and inspired by her principle mentors : Emily Pan, Charles Krigbuam, Terence Tam, Gwen Thompson, Andrew Dawes and members of Borealis String Quartet.
"My goal is to create a nurturing music community; where everyone respects and communicates in all directions. Each party (Child, Parent, Teacher) has an equal amount of importance. I want to create a community where parents and kids can learn together and from other families."
Email: MusicTalentEducation@gmail.com
School Number: 778-382-9090
Website: www.facebook.com/eveychildistalented - www.nsste-violin.wixsite.com/everychildcan/our-teacher-c1yws
James Watson
Location: Kamloops, BC and ONLINE
Time Zone: Pacific Time
Payout Currency: CAD
Instrument: Violin
Method: Simon Fischer
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Fiddle
Serving Ages: anyone who is willing to learn
Levels: beginner-intermediate
Teaching Since: 2016
James Watson is a Kamloops born violinist and a former student of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster Cvetozar Vutev. He is now studying at the University of Calgary with Joan Barrett where he is entering into the final year of his Bachelor of Music program with a Minor in Linguistics.
James has performed with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Calgary-based Timepoint Ensemble, and with the University Orchestra as principal second violin. He has also taken part in recordings with the University of Calgary Jazz Orchestra and L’Orchestre de pa Francophonie under the direction of Jean-Phillipe Tremblay.
Email: james-watson@shaw.ca
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Website: www.yourlessonsnow.com