MUSIK
LEBEN
ESTHER SCHÖPF
Esther Schöpf, born in the Odenwald region of southern Hesse (Germany), discovered her love for the violin at the early age of four. She received her first lessons from the renowned violin instructor Erica Schneider in Darmstadt. Following her graduation from high school she continued her musical education at the Richard Strauss Conservatorium in Munich (class of Dorothea Ebert / Urs Stiehler) and with Robert Zimansky in Geneva. Finishing touches were added by her attendance of numerous international master classes - e.g. with Prof. Kravtchenko and Prof. Bezrodnaya (master course in Tours/France) and with Roswitha Randacher in Vienna. Prestigious violinists such as Gidon Kremer, Igor Ozim, Arnold Steinhardt and Sandor Vegh have given her important artistic impulses.
Esther is currently concertmaster of the Munich Airbus Orchestra and of the Stringendo Chamber Orchestra. She regularly performs at international concert venues and festivals (e.g. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Würzburger Mozartfestspiele and Heidelberger Frühling) both as soloist and together with her chamber music ensembles:
Schwabinger Klaviertrio (with Norbert Groh, piano and Klaus Kämper, cello),
Les Musettes (with Maria Reiter, accordion),
nonSordino (with Maria Reiter, accordion - Peter Bachmann, cello and Philipp Stubenrauch, double bass).
Her deep admiration for literature and theater regularly leads her to the stage (e.g. The Bavarian State Opera) and is the inspiration for her multi-faceted musical-literary programs. Numerous CD and radio productions furthermore enrich her artistic work. Esther teaches at the Ludwig-Maximilian's University in Munich and is both author and musician for the young label "stringendo" where, together with Norbert Groh, she develops new music-didactic concepts.
Esther Schöpf plays a violin by Burkhard Eickhoff (Munich, 1999) and a violin by Gaetano Pasta (Brescia, 1709)
The Violin Pedagogue
Sharing her love of music is one of Esther's primary goals as a musician. Teaching has therefore accompanied and enriched her work as a musician over many years.
As an artist and as a violin pedagogue, she is continuously searching for an holistic approach to music in regard to learning and teaching. She has held numerous master classes and workshops and regularly coaches string instrument classes. Based on her additional studies in music physiology at the University of the Arts in Berlin (focus on relaxation and concentration methods for musicians), she integrates respective exercises into her courses.
To support her efforts towards fostering young students´ enjoyment of music, Esther has initiated various pedagogic projects such as „Stringendo Violine: Freude am lebendigen Musizieren“ (2004) and „musica facile“ (2008). More information is available at www.stringendo-music.de
Esther Schöpf is a member of the German Association for Music Physiology and Musician´s Medicine and is a regular member of the jury for „Jugend musiziert“ (German national competition for young musicians).
For several years she has been active as a violin pedagogue at various "Musikhochschulen" in Germany (University-level Colleges of Music) and at secondary schools. Since 1996, in addition to her teaching position at the Institute of Music Pedagogy of the Ludwig-Maximilian's University, she offers private lessons in her studio in Munich/Schwabing and in Pöcking, near Lake Starnberg.
