Anna Jane Lester

Hello! My name is Anna Jane, and I’m a violinist based in the Netherlands. I hold a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University, as well as Master’s degrees from both the Juilliard School and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. I specialize in historically informed performance and regularly perform with ensembles such as the English Baroque Soloists, Holland Baroque, the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles, and as a founding member and first violinist of a string quartet. I love sharing my specialization by working with advanced and bachelor’s-level violin students who are interested in exploring baroque and classical performance practice.

I’m also passionate about helping students of all ages and experience levels feel creatively empowered on the violin. I’ve taught at music schools like the W.O. Smith School and Oak Park Fiddle Camp, and I bring years of childcare experience to my teaching to create a fun, supportive, and engaging learning space for younger students.

In addition to classical training, I’ve studied old-time American fiddle traditions and love introducing these tunes into lessons when students are interested, building a strong classical foundation while encouraging musical curiosity and joy.

I believe it’s important to set goals together and create personal learning plans that work for each student. I’m happy to follow the progression of method books, and I also love incorporating music that inspires my students like a favorite song, a new style, or an original idea: technique and musical expression grow together :)