Viola lessons in Bern

I studied the violin for about 2 months with Fermin and I have grown much in my knowledge of not just how to play but how to think when playing. Fermin has also helped a lot with technical struggles allowing me to break through some of the challenges that were bothering me for a long time. He is a very patient teacher but he will not hesitate to stop you and correct you (as any good teacher would) if you are not playing correctly. I personally requested that he gives me honest feedback which really helped me play better tecnically and musically. I believe he will be open to adapting his strictness upon specific requests. The time difference (Fermin being in Spain and I being in the US) has not been easy but Fermin was very willing to bend his schedule and provided several time slots to accommodate my availability. To sum up, if you are looking for a teacher that is patient in character yet unrelenting toward the goal of fully tapping your potential both musically and tecnically, I would recommend you take a lesson with Fermin.

Toby is an outstanding instructor and works with children very naturally. My 11 year old son has been taking lessons with Toby for over two months and is eager for each lesson. Toby is extremely talented, but beyond that, he engages my son deeply with the music itself, fundamental techniques, music theory, and even the interpretation of the music. Toby is kind, encouraging, and works with students at a level that is appropriate. He has allowed my son to chose music that if fun and interesting to practice, even though the pieces are challenging. We are located many time zones away from Toby, and the virtual lessons do not hinder our experience with him. In fact, I often sit in to listen to the lessons, as they are so good. My son has had a couple of lessons with Toby while company has been over, and everyone has commented on how amazing Toby is as an instructor. I can not recommend Toby enough and hope to continue lessons with him for a long time.

Zoey is both knowledgeable and skilled in observing what I was doing - and then had right words and actions to show me what I could change - and PRACTICE changing - to improve my sound and overall skills. She focused on fundamental positions of my right hand and the bow position for the first lesson. When we moved into playing a piece that I was working on, she had suggestions that incorporated those fundamentals with the specifics of the piece. I look forward to practicing this week.