Rowan O'Neal

I am a violinist, composer, and harpsichordist. I started started playing violin at the age of 4 with the Suzuki method. I transitioned to Celtic music, then Scandinavian, and learned to play the Hardanger fiddle. At university I played in the St Andrews Baroque Orchestra and now play the Baroque violin. I also play harpsichord, having studied with Linda Burman-Hall. I studied composition and and music theory privately with composer Christopher Pratorius. I am beginning a Master’s at the Longy School of Music in Boston, studying composition with a concentration in Baroque violin.

My experience in both traditional and classical music gives me a wide range of experience both with teaching methods and musical styles, and I am happy to help my students learn whatever genre they prefer. In my lessons and in practice time I encourage my students both to have fun playing music that they enjoy and to work on exercises and studies in order to improve their technique and musicianship. It is important to make some space just for playing as that gives one motivation to practice and allows one to feel the joy of music (and that is one reason why we play!) but it is also indispensable to work on drills and studies because those are necessary in order to improve one's technique, which feeds into improvement and renders playing for pleasure even more special.