Ms. Irene is a highly educated, skilled, and dedicated teacher, who started her teaching carrier over 25 years ago while still in college, Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia. She's been teaching in US for the past 20 years, specializing in private one-on-one lessons, as well as string and vocal ensembles. She is a very passionate teacher who has unique qualifications: she teaches both classical violin from young and older beginners to post-graduate level, and she also teaches classical singing (opera and musical theater) on very high professional level for serious singers.
In addition to her teaching experience, she possesses outstanding communication and human relations skills, in-depth knowledge and understanding of the teaching/learning process. In both violin and vocal art, technique is number one for her. An accomplished performer herself, she pays very special attention to the proper form and sound quality, and is very demanding in that respect. She also pays very special attention to students' psychological preparation, besides teaching technical and musical aspects. She has a vast knowledge public schools curriculum and gets students ready for concerts, festivals, recitals and auditions. Her students have the best success rate among their peers, and she is very proud of them all!
Her love for teaching music and her enthusiasm are very contagious! That, and the high level of competence and professionalism, make her lessons so very effective. She takes great pride in her work! She has that special touch with kids that parents are looking for, and her students adore her! Please come and visit one of Ms. Irene's lessons, or have a trial lesson with her and experience her unique approach and excitement for the music and for teaching it!
Congratulations to our voice and violin teacher Miss Irene on being accepted as a Full Member of NATS (The National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc.), as a Metropolitan Opera Guild Member, and as a member of The National Federation of Music Clubs! Way to go, Miss Irene!
Miss Irene started her classical singing education at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia, and later continued at the Basel State Opera House in Switzerland. She is a big proponent and a specialist of the classical Italian Bel Canto technique.
Being multi-lingual, she specializes in teaching in Slavic languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Czech), as well as Italian, German, French, and Spanish. Having lived, studied, and worked in several European countries, Miss Irene takes pride in the teaching authentic and correct pronunciation of the European languages.
Miss Irene strongly believes that the proper technique is the basis for the beautiful sound. She pays special attention to proper breathing, placement, vowel formation, and correct enunciation, opening the head voice, and widening the vocal range. She enjoys working in great detail on every single word and phrase.
Her most favorite eras are Baroque, Classical, and Romantic. She utilizes a wide variety of material, such as Schirmer's and other libraries collections, mezzo-soprano, soprano and coloratura compilations, as well as separate operas, according to the student's needs.
Over the past 12 years of teaching at our school, Miss Irene's students won many competitions, and successfully passed various auditions, such as Allstate, NATS, College Prep, National Federation of Music Club, and many others.
MUSICAL THEATER
Miss Irene takes a special pleasure in working with young men and women on the American Musical Theater genre.
Being a very technical teacher, she finds it very helpful to apply the classical singing methods and technique to the musical theater studies, while at the same time having the flexibility of being outside the box of classical music. She loves working on phrasing and dynamics of this genre.