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 26, 2024 – June 2, 2025
Mondays 4pm – 4:55pm
Instructors: Sherry Luchette and Hestor Taylor

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 9, 2024 – May 19, 2025
Mondays: 5:30 – 6:15 pm
Instructor: Natalie Brejcha, Brandon Encinas, and Erika Walczak

Apply for an audition

String Ensemble is a chamber music experience under the PCM Suzuki department, aimed towards students whose intention is to build and develop the skills necessary to work in a high level string ensemble program. Students are required to attend weekly coachings/rehearsals, and will be challenged on their sight reading skills, musical interpretation, team work, soloistic abilities, etc. This program is currently reserved for those with recommendation from their private lesson teacher, and at the sole discretion of the Suzuki program coordinator.**

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 9, 2024 – May 19, 2025
Instructors: Brandon Encinas, Sherry Luchette, Megan Shung, Hester Taylor, and Simone Vitucci

Group classes for violin, cello, and bass students meet Monday evenings between 5:30 and 7:30 in 30-minute increments.

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

Adult Offerings

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

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.

Spring: March 6 – May 29, 2025
Summer: July 3 – August 7, 2025
Thursdays: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Instructor: Erika Walczak and Simone Vitucci
Tuition: $480/$240**

Register here

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

Register here

**Summer tuition

Spring: March 6 – May 29, 2025
Summer: July 3 – August 7, 2025
Thursdays: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Instructors: Erika Walczak and Simone Vitucci
Tuition: $480/$240**

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