Hello, My name is Claire Hebeisen and I am a violinist. I have been passionate about teaching for as long as I can remember. When I was a small child starting Suzuki Book 1, I would share what I was learning with anyone who would listen; I was so excited about the music I was beginning to create. Learning to play violin felt like discovering a magic power, and the enthusiasm to share those sounds and the skill to create them was bursting from me.
Many years of practicing, performing, and teaching later, I’ve recognized that learning to play music is learning how to listen, both to the imagined sounds in your head and the sounds you are creating with your instrument, and then creating those sounds with physical ease and fluency. The relation of sound and movement is a constant process for all musicians whether you have been playing for 5 days or 50 years. I aim to meet my students wherever they are on this journey of discovery and to share with them my excitement for experimentation, expression, and sounds.
Bio
Violinist Claire Hebeisen is passionate about musical storytelling. She seeks to create an emotional experience and enable communication. She is committed to a variety of diverse musical performances including alternative repertoire, creative collaboration, and performing for non-traditional audiences. Claire is active in chamber music, solo performance, and community engagement in North America and Europe and has performed in the United States, Canada, France, Iceland, and the Netherlands.
Claire is an experienced teacher of violin, chamber music, and string orchestra. She has been teaching private violin lessons since 2018 and has worked with many local youth orchestras including OrchKids, Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the DC Youth Orchestra Program to teach chamber music and string sectionals. Claire has extensive experience with the Suzuki method as she grew up playing the early Suzuki repertoire and uses it with her students. She also includes other pieces and methods in her teaching including fiddle tunes, Barbara Barber repertoire, and intermediate concertos and show pieces. She has had the privilege of working with students from a wide range of levels, ages, and backgrounds including children as young as 5 years old, adult beginners, students who are neurodivergent, and intermediate/advanced students. No matter the age or level of the student, it always brings her joy to see their excitement and happiness when they discover something new or understand a concept for the first time.
Claire cares deeply about being involved in her community through music. From 2018-2021, she was Co-Director of Peabody String Sinfonia (a student-run, conductor-less chamber orchestra that performs in non-traditional venues including rehab centers, cancer treatment facilities, and homeless shelters) and was also the Peabody Musician in Residence at Edenwald Senior Living Community where she performed regularly for residents in exchange for housing.
Claire performs with several ensembles as both an orchestral and chamber musician. She is a member of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and performed with the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra in the summer of 2022. She is a member of the Asteío Trio which was invited to Ísafjörður, Iceland in June 2023 to perform and teach at the Við Djúpið Festival. From 2018-2023, Claire was a member of a violin/percussion group, the Crandal Hebeisen Duo, which created several concert programs of their own transcriptions of music they love, music written for their instruments, and commissioned works.
In addition to ensemble performance, Claire has performed numerous solo engagements, including a concert for the Gordon Trust Fund Concert Series at Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore, MD. She also loves new music and has worked closely with many composers to premier their pieces. Claire graduated from Peabody Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in 2021 and Master’s of Music in 2022, studying with Judith Ingolfson, and from McGill University with a Graduate Diploma in Performance in 2023, studying with Violiane Melancon.
What I Offer
Private Violin Lessons (In person and online)
30 minute lessons - $40 (for young beginners)
45 minute lessons - $53
60 minute lessons - $65
Chamber Music Coachings (In person and hybrid)
60 minute coaching - $30 per student
Pre-formed groups and individual applications are welcome. Information on chamber music workshops coming soon.
If you are interested in chamber music, but don’t know where to start, send me an email so we can chat!
For questions about lessons with Claire, or to schedule a discounted trial lesson, please fill out a contact form or email claire.honeyacres@gmail.com.