My cello education comes from both the French school (Philippe Muller) and the cello school instilled in the United States (Paul Katz) where my respective teachers were students of distinguished American cellists like Gregor Piatigorski, Leonard Rose, Janos Starker (I also played for) and Aldo Parisot. My French teachers were students of great cellists like André Navarra, Paul Tortelier and Maurice Gendron.

  I will be delighted to share my experience to advise my students in their quest to enter in the different conservatories of Europe or the different American universities.

 Having myself experienced as many orchestra auditions in Europe as in the United States, I know the wheels of these auditions and can advise students who wish to succeed in such endeavors, in either place.

 The auditions process is very different depending on the continent.

Although I favor the preparation for recitals and the cello repertoire in general, I will gladly help my students in the preparation for orchestra excerpts in view of orchestra auditions, which has been my constant challenge in the past 20 years.

 During these years as a full-time orchestra cellist, I learned to prepare and win psychologically difficult auditions, which allowed me to regularly change orchestra jobs as opportunity came. 

 I can share the methods that helped me stay in shape while I needed to prepare, rehearse and perform concerts with a full time orchestra job.

   General teaching method:

 At all levels, but absolutely essential for an advanced level, I encourage the cellists to be pro-active in their practice of a piece toward the harmony, (the piano/orchestra part), encouraging them to have a vertical reading of the music, which gives a lot of clues for the intonation and also the base for an architectural structure of the phrase which can inspire toward a successful melodic interpretation in the end.

 Once the score is understood in that way, then only, and like a painter, we can discuss together, suggesting how and why we may use certain colors, bow speeds, and a variety of vibratos (amplitude, left hand position, and speed) while guiding the students towards a personal, personified and convincing artistic choice.

 My experience of Baroque and Renaissance music performances since a very young age, to masterclasses taken with great specialists to my professional experience with a number of recognized ensembles, I can guide my students in the Renaissance and Baroque music repertoire if needed.

Part of my teaching: I sometimes suggest to my students to imagine, to draw from life situations, truths, or meaningful ideas of life, to guide them towards a more convincing interpretation using their imagination (when needed). That's where the technique can start serving the musical ideas.

 I’m never disappointed by the result.

 I also cover the practice of Scales, Etudes and conditioning exercises. And I love the benefits of slow practice. And to suggest the way it works for me. Pure cello technique/intonation practice/focus is also a great reset opportunity for both the teacher and the students.