Violin and Viola lessons at Wilton Music Studios

Why Should I Take Violin Lessons or Viola Lessons at WMS?

Whether you’re a young child or an adult, beginner, or advanced, each student sets goals with the assistance of their teacher at Wilton Music Studios. If you’re preparing for an orchestra or college audition, getting ready for Western Regional or All-State, or simply taking lessons just because you love the violin or viola, our teacher works with each student and parent on a personal level to craft a lesson plan that fits the student’s individual needs and favorite genres of music. Whether a seven-year-old taking their first lesson, a thirty-year-old returning to the instrument after a long separation, or a retiree pursuing a long-held dream, the teacher will share their love of music and help students explore their own personal musical journey.

Violin & Viola Fun Fact

A recent study has found that 1 hour of violin playing burns approximately 175 calories — who needs the gym! Bach and Beethoven played the viola. So did Jimi Hendrix! He played the viola before he picked up the guitar!

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What Styles of Music Do We Teach in Your Violin Lessons or Viola Lessons?

Our teacher tailors music lessons to the needs and desires of the student. The versatility of the instruments combined with the wide-ranging experience of our faculty means their violin and viola lessons can take the student wherever they want whether it be serious classical, folk, or popular music. All students will learn the fundamentals of playing so that they can play any type of music to the best of their ability.

Historical Violin & Viola Tidbits

The violin was first made in the early sixteenth century, in Italy and the earliest evidence for their existence is in paintings. Instruments of approximately 300 years of age, especially those made by Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù, are the most highly prized. It’s not uncommon for instruments of the greatest makers of the past (especially more than 150 years ago) to routinely sell from the hundreds of thousands into the millions of dollars with the record for a violin being $16 million, and the finest bows selling in the hundreds of thousands!

Instrument names in the violin family are all derived from the root viola, which came from the Latin word vitula, meaning “stringed instrument”. The viola’s unique sound in the violin family is to a certain extent due to the fact that the viola would need to measure around 21 inches to match the sound of a violin. Being shorter than it should be and much wider than the violin means the viola has a darker, more husky sound which adds wonderful color and texture to ensembles, especially the string quartet. What a marvelous accident of historical design that it was played from the beginning under the neck like a violin that resulted in differences that give it such a special sound!

Who Are Our Music Teachers?

Everyone on our faculty is a professional performing musician and very at home teaching all ages and levels. They are tuned in to the needs of each student since everyone learns indifferently. Our teachers have graduated from some of the world’s greatest conservatories including the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, the Aaron Copland School of Music, the Bard College-Conservatory of music and serve on the faculties of many schools and universities, including the Mannes College of Music, Western Connecticut University, Sacred Heart University and the University of Bridgeport.

David Creswell

David Creswell has been an integral part of the music scene in and around New York City for more than 25 years, with experience that spans nearly every musical style and setting from solo performance to orchestral work and opera.

Joseph Galante

Joseph Galante is a violinist and violist based in the New York City area specializing in historically informed performance practice. He is well-versed in upper/lower string and piano pedagogy.

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