“Prioritizing a curriculum that is unique to each student, I carefully observe each student's ability to determine the course of study. My teaching philosophy, influenced by my "Grandfather" teacher Ivan Galamian, emphasizes an equal pyramid of technique and musicality. Developing both equally, with technique’s sole purpose to express innate musicality, is essential to achieve the end goal to create artful music. This zenith is a foundation for producing music that achieves a higher standard of living, including infinite personal growth and positive contributions to society, family and community. Studying music positively affects all areas of life, including an increased self-esteem, awareness, discipline, work-ethic, concentration, passion, commitment, respect, inspiration, improved memory, increased joy, and many more endless benefits. During lessons, I emulate positive energy, make my students smile and feel at ease, while focusing on always making the best possible sound and obtaining proper technique. In addition to studying a variety of repertoire and music theory, I am sure to emphasize technique methodology such as tonalization, bow hold exercises, scales, arpeggios, etudes, double stops: sixths, thirds, octaves, fingered octaves, tenths, etc. Prioritizing proper technique is a necessary step in order to make beautiful music.”
ABOUT
EDUCATION
B.Mus. Northwestern University
M.Mus. Boston University
AFFILIATIONS
Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Opera Theatre, HMTA, Punahou Music School, Mid-Pacific Institute, Kalikolehua El Sistema, Maui Pops & Maui Chamber Orchestra
BIOGRAPHY
Violinist Rachel Saul, originally from Tucson, Arizona, performs and teaches with an enthusiastic passion for music and its life changing benefits. Rachel feels fortunate to currently live in Honolulu and is a member of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with the HSO since 2012, and performs with orchestras such as the Hawaii Opera Theatre, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Maui Chamber Orchestra, Hawaii Pops, Maui Pops Orchestra, Tucson Pops Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and more. Over the years, she has worked with renowned world-class String Quartets such as the Muir, Pacifica, Takács, Pro Arte, Chiara, St. Petersburg, Miami, Chester, and Vermeer String Quartets.
A graduate of Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, she received her Bachelor of Music studying under Gerardo Ribeiro, where she was a recipient of the Captain Maxwell W. Balfour Endowed Scholarship. During her undergraduate years at Northwestern, Rachel often held leadership positions with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Victor Yampolsky. She received her Master of Music degree from Boston University College of Fine Arts studying under Peter Zazofsky. She has participated in music festivals such as the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, American Institute for Musical Studies (AIMS) Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, National Orchestral Institute, Atlantic Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Rocky Ridge Music Festival, Interlochen Arts Camp, and Chamber Music in the Mountains.
Rachel made her solo debut appearing as a featured soloist with the Tucson Pops Orchestra in 2006, performing the Bruch Violin Concerto. Rachel has taught private and group lessons throughout the United States for over a decade at institutions such as UpBeat Music & Arts in Chicago, Suzuki Institute of Boston and currently at Punahou Music School. In the fall of 2013, she founded the brand new After-School Strings Program at the Mid-Pacific Institute Elementary, and is a Teaching Artist with Kalikolehua - El Sistema Hawai’i. When not playing violin, she loves being outdoors in Hawai'i and enjoys performance and teaching opportunities in the community. From coaching students at the Hawaii Youth Symphony and Moanalua High School to performing/recording with diverse local award-winning musicians such as Paula Fuga, Mike Love, Makana, Jeff Peterson and Sean Na’auao, there is never a dull moment as a professional musician in Hawaii. In addition to appearing in concerts locally at the Blue Note Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii Public Radio’s Atherton Performing Arts Studio, Rachel also performs recitals across Hawaii, North America and Europe.
WEBSITE
https://www.rachelsaulviolin.com/
MEDIA
Contact
This directory is service provided to teaching members of the Hawaii Music Teachers Association and to the Hawaii community. While HMTA will do its best to connect Hawaii violin students with local violin teachers, the responsibility for fulfillment and content of violin lessons, as well as safety, rests solely with the individual teachers. If you are a violin teacher in Hawaii and would like to be listed in this directory, please consider becoming a member.