Aoise O'Dwyer

I am a professional freelance violist with a varied career including solo, duet, chamber, symphonic, and opera orchestral playing. I have worked extensively with the RTE Concert Orchestra, Irish National Opera Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. I have received support from the Arts Council and Offaly Arts Office for my ongoing solo project "Women Composers and the Viola". I hold a BMus in Viola Performance from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and a MA in Viola Performance from the MTU Cork School of Music.

I am an experienced violin and viola teacher with 15 years of experience in music schools and as a private teacher in Ireland, the Netherlands and Chile. My approach is student-centred and grounded in Kodaly pedagogy, with an emphasis on ear-training, tone production, building a strong technical foundation and fostering a deep love of music! I teach practice strategies and techniques so that students leave their lessons with the tools they need to self-direct their learning at home between lessons. I bring a wealth of professional performing experience to my teaching and I am skilled in preparing students for recitals, Junior and Leaving Cert music practical exams and competitions, not only musically but in terms of mental preparation and management of performance anxiety.

I recommend a lesson of 60 minutes duration for all levels as it allows me to cover multiple aspects of instrumental learning and to make sure that students have time to ask questions and deepen their understanding. More advanced students may benefit from 90-minute lessons, especially before an important performance. I am currently accepting students from intermediate to pre-professional, of all ages, including adult learners. I do not focus on grade examinations.