Valerie Pearson

Valerie studied the violin with Diana Cummings at the Royal Academy of Music during her undergraduate music degree at King's College London and says that Diana's teaching gave her a deep understanding of the physiology of playing, which completely transformed her relationship with the violin, and had a huge influence on her own teaching.

Her interest in modern music, and in the relationship between performer, composer and audience formed the basis of her doctoral research at the University of York, where she also developed ways of combining performance and composition through improvisation. 

With a wealth of experience as a teacher, Valerie's skills range from starting off three-year-old Suzuki violinists to leading university projects, and teaching at international summer music schools. While completing her PhD at the University of York, she began building a private teaching practice that became highly successful and widely sought after. She created a close network of confident young players through extra group activities, chamber music and concerts, and enjoyed supporting them in their successes in national competitions, and National Children’s Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and conservatoire auditions.