Alexander L. — Cello Teacher — Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal

Alexander is based in Montréal, Québec where he studies at Schulich School of Music at McGill University with Matt Haimovitz. Alexander received a Bachelor of Music Performance from Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in 2022. He aspires to play in symphony orchestras, opera orchestras, build a professional string quartet, and form a private studio. Alexander Lewis plays on a cello made by Richard Duke in 1890, graciously loaned by the Carlsen Cello Foundation. Alexander teaches in his apartment in the Westmount area. Although he teaches primarily in English, he wants to improve his French by beginning to teach partially in French when possible.

The ideal student of Alexander’s will have at least one year of experience with cello before starting lessons. However, with prior musical knowledge, Alex will accept a student who is new to the instrument. Some ability to read music is helpful, but not required. Alexander’s style of teaching is individualized, so what he will cover with each student will vary. Generally, students of Alex’s will study a great deal of the technique of the instrument with him before beginning to apply that technique to major repertoire. Alex will assign strength training exercises to help students build a solid foundation for how to use the bow and the cello. Once these fundamentals are established, Alex will begin to assign pedagogical etudes and short pieces of repertoire which he will assist the student in learning. Through this process, students will learn how to study pieces on their own. With the technique and knowledge of the learning process Alex will teach, the student will improve extremely quickly!