My Background and Philosophy

Connie Lorber was born in Bronx, NY and grew up on Long Island. She began her viola studies at age eleven in the school string program. Her first studies were with Dorothy Kesner-Elsiha, a student of the famed Leopold Auer. Ms. Lorber continued her early studies with Margaret Pardee, assistant to the celebrated Ivan Galamian.

She earned a Bachelor of Music at the Eastman School of Music in New York, where she studied with Francis Tursi . Ms. Lorber received her Master of Fine Arts in viola performance at the University of Iowa . There she studied with William Preucil, Sr., serving as his teaching assistant. Ms. Lorber has also studied with Eric Rosenblith, Jacob Glick, Alan Deveritch, Yizhak Schotten, Hugh Partridge and Donald McInnes.

Ms. Lorber speaks fluent Spanish having lived in Mexico for four years. During this time she was principal violist with the Orquesta de Camara de Xalapa as well as the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico. She has recorded in both the United States and Mexico, received the Rochester National Scholarship and was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, music society.

Ms. Lorber has been a member of the New Orleans Symphony (now known as the Louisiana Philharmonic) and the San Diego Symphony; she has also played with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Ms. Lorber presently substitutes with the North Carolina Symphony and plays with many other area performing ensembles. She has been a member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for the last 21 years. Ms. Lorber has been teaching privately for 25 years. She has also taught at the Catholic Southern University and College of Charleston. Currently she is an Instructor of Viola at N.C. State University in Raleigh.

Ms. Lorber plays on the ex-Primrose/Cooley Moennig viola.

My teaching philosophy is based on my belief that even a child as young as five can be taught to play the violin. I believe that engendering pride in personal achievement is primary in creating the motivation to learn. This is done by enabling the child to accomplish small steps which are designed to train muscle memory. Along with this the child is made to understand each movement in terms of its function.

Reading music and understanding concepts of music theory are included in my teaching. I believe that the musical scale is familiar to most children. At some point, even within the first five years of life, every child has heard a scale or pieces of a scale, even though they were not aware of the significance of the sounds.

1st, 2nd, 3rd
finger positions

More Pictures

I place great importance on proper use of the body and the muscles. The student is taught which muscles are used, how they are used and how to guard against misuse/overuse. I teach the student how to hold the instrument and bow, taking into account the particularities of his/her body; i.e.; height, arm and finger length, etc.

I take great pains to familiarize myself with each student’s individual mind set. I feel it is my job to connect with that mind so as to be able to infuse the information I intend to convey. Because the student is made to understand completely the physical and mental aspects of playing the violin/viola, mastery comes quickly, confidence ensues, and motivation grows. Because what I teach is a discipline of mind over body, the student often finds the lessons learned applicable to other areas of their life.

My ultimate goal is to provide the information and tools that will enable the student to meld mind, fingers, instrument, ears and soul... instilling the joy of making music .

photos edited by Everett Photography