Departments

Strings

Collage of three students playing violin, viola, and cello

Strings

The String Department prepares students to achieve technical proficiency on their instruments. A comprehensive curriculum emphasizes balanced posture, tone production, accurate intonation, musicianship skills, and leads students through a sequential body of repertoire.

The Conservatory’s string curriculum for violin, viola, and cello is based on the Talent Education method developed by Shinichi Suzuki. Students follow the Suzuki curriculum, which includes weekly individual lessons of 30, 45, or 60 minutes and a weekly group class. Through the Suzuki method, students may begin instruction as young as age 4.

Meet Our String Faculty

Our Programs

We offer private lessons as well as group and ensemble classes.

August 25, 2025 – June 1, 2026
Mondays 4:00 – 4:55 pm
Instructors: Sherry Luchette and Hestor Taylor
Tuition: $1,080

Bridge to Strings is for beginning Suzuki students and caregivers, ages 4-6 years, who are not yet ready for the Book 1 Suzuki group class.
Bridge to Strings fosters development of essential musical foundations such as beat, rhythm, pitch awareness, group movement, and both fine and gross motor coordination. Students have the opportunity to experience a group class environment and caregivers take a small group seminar with a Suzuki instructor where they can discuss practice, pedagogy, and partnering with their child(ren) to make lessons more enjoyable and effective.
Students must be enrolled in private lessons with a Suzuki string teacher.
Contact the PCM office at 626.683.3355 or music@pasadenaconservatory.org for enrollment information.

September 8, 2025 – May 18, 2026
Mondays 5:30 – 6:15 pm
Instructors: Megan Shung and Hestor Taylor
Tuition: $1,080

Apply for an audition

String Ensemble is a chamber music experience that builds and develops the skills necessary to work in a high level string ensemble program. Students are required to attend weekly coachings/rehearsals, and are challenged on their sight reading skills, musical interpretation, team work, and soloistic abilities.

Audition Required.

Those eligible for String Ensemble are:

  • Students in Suzuki books level 4 and above who are under the age of 13, with the recommendation from their private lesson teacher.
  • Students ages 10 and above, who are below Suzuki Book level 4, with the recommendation from their private lesson teacher.

July 21 – 25, 2025
Monday – Friday: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Instructors: Brandon Encinas and Natalie Brejcha

Apply for the String Ensemble Intensive

Students learn essential chamber skills including independent thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, listening, agency, leadership, and compromise, all while playing music from the great masters like Mozart and Haydn.

Ages 8 – 13 are invited to audition. Video submission required. Please contact the PCM office at music@pasadenaconservatory.org or 626.683.3355 for more information.

 

September 10, 2025 – May 25, 2026
Instructors: Brandon Encinas, Sherry Luchette, and Hester Taylor
Tuition: $576

Group classes for violin meet Mondays between 5:30 – 7:30 pm in 30-minute increments.

Group classes for cello and bass meet Wednesdays between 5:30 – 6:00 pm in 30-minute increments.

 

Contact the PCM office at 626.683.3355 or music@pasadenaconservatory.org for enrollment information.

Adult Offerings

SUMMER
June 22 – July 27, 2025
Sundays 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Instructor: Natalie Brejcha
Tuition: $240

Fall
August 25 – November 17, 2025
Mondays 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Instructor: Natalie Brejcha
Tuition: $504

Register here

Come make music with your peers in a relaxed but lively setting where everyone – from the basic beginner to the seasoned expert – can participate at their level of ability and comfort. The Folk Ensemble works together to discover and play folk music from around the world starting with American Roots Music (e.g. Fiddle tunes, Bluegrass, Country and Blues).

The group is open to all instruments, but particularly chorded instruments like acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and solo instruments like violin, viola, and cello.

Summer: July 3 – August 7, 2025
Fall: August 28 – November 13, 2025
Thursdays 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Instructor: Erika Walczak and Simone Vitucci
Tuition: $504/$240**
Material Fee: $10

Register here

For adults new to string ensemble, this class focuses on fundamentals: tone production, intonation, reading, and playing in an ensemble setting.

**Summer tuition

Summer: July 3 – August 7, 2025
Fall: August 28 – November 13, 2025
Thursdays 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Instructors: Erika Walczak and Simone Vitucci
Tuition: $504/$240**
Material Fee: $10

Register here

Students acquire ensemble chops while learning just enough about music theory, history, ear training, and healthy practice habits to support their development as a whole musician.

**Summer tuition

Visit the Fees page for more information about tuition and registration fees.

*Summer offering available

Let's make some music!
Find out how to enroll