Violin with Abigail T.

Abigail Tsai is a passionate violinist and educator. She received a BM from the Eastman School of Music (where she was awarded the esteemed Performer's Certificate), and recently an MM from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Sonder Classical, which presents classical music events that engage with listeners in a deeply collaborative and innovative way. In 2019-2020, she studied violin abroad in Austria at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Tsai has performed with orchestras across the US, Austria, and Germany, including the San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, New West Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Neue Philharmonic Berlin, and Canton Symphony Orchestra. She has also soloed with the San Fernando Valley Symphony, the Pazardzhik Symphony, the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic, and the Ventura College Symphony. Her teachers include Ilya Kaler, Oleh Krysa, Tien Hsin Cindy Wu, Shuewei Liu, and Dianne Ramon. Abigail Tsai is passionate about reaching new audiences through innovative approaches and mediums; she is a firm believer that classical music is for anyone and everyone. She likes to write about music and motivation on her Medium Blog, and create video art along with works of classical music. She has experimented with digital and electronic music production and hopes to incorporate more into her work. She believes music, like other forms of artistic expression, can give an unspeakable, emotional connection between every single individual in the world, and her goal is to highlight and spread awareness of this connection in classical music in regards to American society. ————————————————- Hi prospective students! I am excited to guide you through the difficult yet immensely rewarding art of playing the violin. There are few things in the world as satisfying as making music, so my goal is to give you the tools to express yourself through the violin. I specialize in teaching classical violin, but I am also comfortable with teaching multiple styles such as rock, pop, jazz, etc. I have also practiced viola, piano, and a little bit of acoustic guitar, so if the student wishes to delve into these other instruments, I am happy to teach them. After all, playing more than one instrument can vastly help the student's musical knowledge, chamber music skills, sight-reading skills, and even help them on their main instrument.   One crucial element in developing a hardworking and successful student is to ensure that they enjoy playing their instrument. I have had a few students tell me about how much they want to learn a song from their favorite movie or favorite band, and I am more than happy to teach them. I think lessons should be enjoyable for both the teacher and the student, so that the student is inspired to practice on their own.  Not only do I teach the fundamentals of violin playing, such as scales, vibrato, posture, and bow control, but I also delve into music theory and music history when suitable. I offer advice on practice motivation, conquering stage fright, practicing efficiently and making the most of every minute, memorization, etc. This squeaky slab of wood and animal guts may seem intimidating at first (in fact, I continue to be intimidated by it everyday), but together we can learn to conquer it, to make it an extension of your body and musical soul. All the problems and difficulties that arise from the violin can be broken down into very simple solutions- my job is to help you solve these problems and improve in a fun and efficient way! In time, the sounds coming from your violin will evolve from screeching and squeaking to lush, singing, beautiful tones.