Centre of Excellence for Violin Teaching
ONE-to-ONE INDIVIDUAL LESSONS
LESSONS FOR ADULTS & CHILDREN
Learning to play the violin is satisfying, challenging and fun, whatever your age. Leeds Violin School welcomes students of all ages, from as young as 3 years old to long-retired adults.
Whether you are a parent interested in lessons for your child, or an adult wanting to refresh a childhood passion or start a new hobby, Leeds Violin School will help you achieve your goal - and it is never too late to start!
OPTIONAL GROUP LEARNING
Group learning in addition to individual lessons is extremely beneficial as well as being enjoyable to share music-making with others. In addition to providing individual violin lessons on a one-to- one basis, Leeds Violin School encourages students to join either its Junior Violin Group or the Leeds Folk Fiddle Group for adult learners. Leeds Violin School also collaborates with local orchestras and is happy to assist in finding a suitable orchestra for anyone wishing to play classical music with others in addition to individual lessons.
LEARNING THE VIOLIN ACCORDING TO SUZUKI AND KODALY PRINCIPLES
As well as following the principles of Suzuki teaching, one of the teachers at Leeds Violin School also follows the principles of Kodaly, which are particularly beneficial in the teaching of young children.
"ANY CHILD CAN BE DEVELOPED, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU DO IT"
These are the words of the great music educator, violinist Shinichi Suzuki, and it is the strong belief of the teachers at Leeds Violin School that both children and adults can learn to play the violin beautifully if taught in the correct way.
Iveta Hlavenkova, Principal of Leeds Violin School
The Principal of Leeds Violin School is Iveta Hlavenkova, who has been a violin teacher in Leeds since 2010. As will be seen from the many testimonials from her adult students and parents of young students, Iveta has built up a reputation for making violin lessons a mixture of fun, satisfying and successful for her students.
Most of Iveta’s pupils who undertake examinations with the UK’s leading music examining body, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), achieve a Distinction or Merit, and one pupil has recently been awarded one of the highest marks ever, 147 out of 150.
Success in exam results is not pursued at the expense of nurturing the student's enjoyment, however, as it is through enjoyment that the most beneficial learning takes place. Excellent exam results are more a recognition of the effectiveness of Iveta Hlavenkova's approach to teaching all- round musical skills, and her reputation has resulted in a long waiting list of parents and adult learners. This has been one of the factors in the founding of Leeds Violin School and the training of violin teachers in Iveta’s philosophy and methods, which have proved so successful in terms of her pupils' progress and also hugely enjoyable for students of all ages, including those as young as 3 years old.