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Ph.D., Moscow State Conservatory, Russia MM, Kishinev State Conservatory, Moldova BM, Chernivtzi Music Colege, Ukraine
Created and managed the Moldova State Violin Ensemble (performed around Europe) Conductor of Chamber and Symphony Orchestra at Kishinev State Conservatory Founder and Conductor of SLU Chamber Orchestra
I have been fortunate to have experienced a long and multifaceted journey in music: from performing to conducting and orchestra, from teaching to defending my PhD, from creating a music department to managing it. Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing the improvement in the skills and ability to enjoy music in students of all levels. My varied music and career experience gave me the experience and wisdom to guide my students to better themselves, be it musically, professionally or personally.
I hold a a Ph.D. in Music from the Moscow State Conservatory, which is responsible for honing some of the worlds greatest talent. Throughout the years I have published a number of articles for professional music educator associations. I worked with the Moldova State Symphony Orchestra and was also the founder and music director of the Moldova State Violin Ensemble, which gave concerts in a number of European countries. The ensemble recorded a large repertoire of classical music for State Radio and Television. During this period I was also a professor of violin and conductor of the Chamber and Symphony orchestra at the Kishinev State Conservatory. Since 1992 I have been involved with the Southeastern Louisiana University as a Professor of violin and director of SLU Chamber Orchestra. I built the university’s string program from scratch and brought it to its current success. Under mine the SLU Chamber Orchestra has performed a number of concerts with world-famous soloists. Through the years a number of my students have won awards at state and national competitions.
I believe that no two students are alike. Therefore no single method will produce the best results, if applied blindly. I attempt to identify the strengths of the individual and nurture them to build a satisfactory and most importantly satisfying foundation, from which we can build a successful long term practice. My approach to music and teaching is organic. I see commonalities of expression in nature and music. At the same time it is my opinion that fundamentals need to be mastered absolutely, if musical enjoyment and skill are to be fostered long term. From there, individual talent and self expression are my guide to furthering your horizons.
I try to understand the needs of my student; musical, technical, personal. We are all different, so we start from different points. There are no superior and inferior starting points, for we never know where the shortest paths lie. The following are the bare necessities: 1) Realistic Goals. Reaching those goals will give the student satisfaction and encouragement to proceed further. 2) Making Progress, no matter how small, every lesson. A journey is movement. Progress is essential to enjoying the musical journey. 3) Practice, practice, practice. Without practice none of the above is possible, no matter the talent level.