Auckland
Viola Lessons | Violin Lessons | Online Lessons
Bio
Originally from Dunedin, Helen Lee (Bevin) gained a Masters of Music with Distinction from Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2011, studying under Rachel Roberts. She then freelanced with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia, touring extensively throughout Europe and China, and was appointed Solo Viola with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland.
Helen has played solo and chamber recitals throughout New Zealand and the UK, and has attended IMS Prussia Cove, Thy Masterclass and Moritzburg Festival Academy, as well as winning a number of awards including the Pettman/ROSL Arts International Scholarship. Helen returned to New Zealand to join the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 2015. Alongside the busy orchestral season she enjoys teaching, as well as solo and chamber music performances, most recently at the Dunedin Arts Festival and touring for Chamber Music NZ.
Teaching Info
I enjoy introducing children to the world of music, and teaching adults who have taken the plunge into the simultaneously beautiful, hard, and very rewarding journey of playing a stringed instrument. I have been blown away by the success my adult students have had in picking up the violin and viola. I am guided by what you want to achieve – whether it is to play Mozart, Irish jigs or Disney tunes – to play by yourself or in a group, to do exams or to use music as a distraction from the stresses of everyday life.
The gorgeous sound that stringed instruments make is why I fell in love with the violin and viola, so this is the focus of my teaching. To get the best sound out of the instrument a focus on good technique and basic posture is needed. Alongside this I endeavour to develop each students individual connection with the music, and develop the use of music as a means of communication.
I teach from my home in Mount Roskill, and online.