Welcome to Karel Abo's Violin Studio. I teach violin to students of all ages and levels. I also offer private lessons to adult violinists and coachings for chamber music groups.
I give private lessons to students from Charleston, Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, and their surrounding areas in South Carolina.
Please navigate through my website, and contact me if you have any further questions or need additional information.
Karel Abo, violinist, currently serves as Associate Concertmaster with the Midland Symphony Orchestra. An avid performer, Ms. Abo also plays with the Lansing Symphony, the Alma Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and other symphony orchestras throughout the United States.
Ms. Abo is an active recitalist and chamber musician who is frequently invited as a guest artist at faculty recitals, concerts, and music conferences at universities and colleges. Besides an active performer in Michigan, Ms. Abo has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, including prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and St. Luke's Cathedral.
As a violin teacher, Ms. Abo maintains a private violin studio in Charleston, South Carolina. She is on the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Many of her private students have been accepted into prestigious music schools such as University of Michigan and Cleveland Institute of Music and have gone on to become successful music educators and performers.
Karel frequently works with local and regional middle and high school orchestras, running sectionals, chamber music coachings, and string clinics.
Ms. Abo received her bachelor degree in violin performance at Michigan State University. Her primary teachers have been Robert Dan and Andrew Jennings.
I use the Suzuki method in combination with other methods and my own ideas to cater to individual students' development. I believe that everybody has a different way of learning and that it is important for a teacher to be flexible in method and thought. Learning critical thinking and being able to teach oneself at home outside of the lesson is a very important part of my teaching style.
I think the most important job as a teacher is to inspire and teach my students to love music as much as I do. Then, it is important to train the ear for not only intonation, but also tone production and colors. Of course, it is also necessary to teach the right and left hand techniques that allow for musical expression.
It is also important to learn the skills necessary to deal with the mental aspects of performance. Criticism and competition can be difficult to deal with at any age, and I feel it is important that students are prepared for the pressures of performing at any level.
I am willing to take any student of any age or experience as long as there is a commitment to learning and improving. It is never too late to learn. I have had many adult students who have made great improvements in their "hobby". There has been a lot of research that has shown the benefits of learning an instrument, even later in life.
My students have gone on to become professional musicians both as music educators and performers, have attended conservatories and universities such as Stony Brook University, University of Michigan, and Cleveland Institute of Music. Many of my students have participated in music festivals including Interlochen Arts Camp, Meadowmount School of Music and have received highest marks at Solo and Ensemble.
Lessons are scheduled once a week at 25 min., 40 min., or 55 min. intervals. Chamber music coachings are also available. I have a studio in downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Please contact me for information on scheduling and rates.
Beethoven: String Quartet Op.59, No.3, 1st movement
Beethoven: String Quartet, Op.59, No.3, 3rd and 4th movements
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