Thank you for being such a supportive, inspiring, and caring teacher. I feel so lucky to be learning from you because you help me grow as both a musician and a person. Literally nothing is more motivating than your work ethic and dedication to everything that you do. You celebrate victories with me, and you help me bounce back after failures. I am so grateful for all the opportunities that you work so hard to provide for your students, and I also have made so many great friends in the studio—a testament to the amazing community that you nurture. Seeing you every Sunday always makes my day and I leave each lesson with a smile. Thank you so much !
Elizabeth, 15
"Elizabeth saved my violin career. When I met her, I met someone who not only changed my performance but also the person who would profoundly change my life. She saw something in me when nobody else could, and gave me the second chance I desperately needed. Before graduating and attending Stanford, I was the concertmaster of the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonic, and my violin playing has improved to such an extent that I would not even recognize the player from 5 years ago. But Elizabeth is so much more than an incredible teacher (although that she is). She is a mentor, a friend, a confidant. She has become a second mother to me, and I'd venture to guess that most of her students would say the same. She is emotionally invested in not only my playing, but my entire life. She has been happy with me, been sad with me, laughed with me, and cried with me. I have been at Stanford for two years now, and I can tell you that there is not a violin teacher, or person, on the planet who is as gifted, hardworking, caring, nurturing, and above all loving, as Elizabeth Faidley."
Andrew, 20
"Elizabeth Faidley has one of the most extraordinary classes I have ever seen. This is a close knit group of young, passionate and talented violinists who receive a great deal of input from the most devoted teacher I have ever observed. Elizabeth shapes the lives of these young musicians with inspired teaching and the incredible ability to create endless performing opportunities. Master Classes with renowned concert violinists from around the world is the norm if you are lucky enough to be part of her class. My daughter was, and the growth she experienced in her two years was life-changing!"
Peter Winograd, American String Quartet
Elizabeth Faidley is an extraordinary musician and educator. Through highly effective pedagogical approaches, endless performance opportunities, routine master classes with internationally well-known concert violinists, exceptional dedication, and love, Elizabeth has inspired her students to reach their best potential. To Alanna, Elizabeth is her teacher, mentor, role model, and close friend who helps build up not only her confidence in violin performance but also her internal strengths to conquer obstacles in daily life. Alanna also has made many great friends with her peers because of the nurturing and caring studio environment that Elizabeth has established and cherished. Over the past 18 months, Alanna has made lot of progress in her violin performance and personal growth. We are very blessed that Alanna has been thriving in the Elizabeth Faidley Violin Studio.
Beth, mom of Alanna, 14, Baltimore
"An incredible force and leader in violin pedagogy. Elizabeth Faidley and her associate teachers bring out the best in each student’s violin playing - and it doesn’t end there. With a nurturing and constructive approach (and lots of performance and educational opportunities), Elizabeth helps her students develop that important sense of inner self-confidence that propels them into the real world. We are very pleased with the evolution of our daughter’s progress in violin, performance and personhood. We feel a deep gratitude to Elizabeth and her wonderful associates."
Heidi, mom of 14-year old violinist Beverly
"Time really flies! We first entered Elizabeth’s violin studio four years ago because Chelsea, as an aspiring violinist, wanted to renew her sense of motivation, dedication, and passion for music. In these four years, we have gained that and so much more: not only access to a fast-paced learning environment and plentiful opportunities to perform and showcase her hard work, but also lifelong friendships amongst studio members and a sense of belonging in the nurturing environment which Elizabeth has created. While Chelsea’s growth as a violinist is undeniable, we have also seen her grow over the years as a human being, learning self confidence and compassion toward others. Thank you Elizabeth for all you have done for your many students and their parents!"
Wenjing, Mom of Chelsea, 16
"Since our daughter has been studying with Elizabeth for about two years now, her time with the studio has been nothing short of transformational. Our daughter has gained confidence and has made amazing technical and musical strides during her time in the studio. By setting clear and regular goals throughout the year, our daughter is constantly challenged and is always looking forward to the next piece or the next event. Elizabeth nurtures the relationships of her students which fosters a warm supportive environment from which students learn from one another. My only regret is that we didn’t find Elizabeth sooner!"
Christine, mother of Maia, 15
"Elizabeth achieves stunning results because she is a teacher who focuses with complete purpose and clarity on each student as a violinist and as a whole person. Her dedication to nurturing and creating “best of class” musicians and her willingness to devote the time and energy necessary to do this in today’s rarified and competitive environment earn complete devotion from students and parents alike. My daughter considers Elizabeth to be one of her best friends as well as her most respected and adored teacher. Elizabeth has not only elevated her playing to an entirely new level and challenged her to reach far beyond what she had imagined… she has also given her the self-confidence to do this…a truly precious gift! Cameron happily puts in hours of work and practice, because Elizabeth does the same and is an incredible role model. I believe that in working with Elizabeth, we have gained not only a teacher, but a partner and mentor for life…she is a passionate and formidable force in the music world and expects nothing less from her violin families…and the results speak for themselves!"
Sharon, mother of Cameron, 15
"After eight years of working with various teachers, my daughter and I were looking for help with her violin technique when we were lucky enough to find Elizabeth. In her kind, gracious and patient manner, she deconstructed the years of poor habits and quickly built up the proper technique. The improvement in my daughter’s playing was audible almost immediately. Aside from her innate understanding of the violin and her ability to derive its best sound through any child, Elizabeth has a unique connection to her students. She treats them with respect and humor, and is always looking for creative ways to drive the lessons home. She has elevated my daughter’s confidence in her playing and re-ignited her love and appreciation for the violin. Elizabeth is a rare find - an incredibly talented and accomplished musician with a love of and a gift for teaching."
Pat, mother of Alex, 15
"It is extremely rare to find a wonderfully talented musician who is also a superb teacher, but Elizabeth is one of those rare finds! She is amazingly dedicated to her students and their progress as musicians. Her instruction goes way beyond a weekly lesson to performance and competition preparation, masterclasses, and even camps. My daughter, Margot, started with Elizabeth when she was looking for a teacher to help take her playing to the next level, and she found that and so much more. She also found a teacher who cares about her as a person, as well as a student, and who Margot truly considers a mentor as well as an instructor."
Laurie, Mother of Margot, 14
"Elizabeth puts an unparalleled amount of planning and care into her teaching. She cares about each student as an individual and knows how to give each student exactly what they need to help them achieve their goals. She knows how to push her students to the best of their potential through encouragement and support. Elizabeth has high demands for all of her students, but it never feels like too much because she shows you exactly how to meet them and you know she will always be there to help you. I have been devoted to her for 6 years."
Sarah, 22
"Elizabeth Faidley is more than an amazing violin teacher to our daughter: she is a friend, role model, and inspiration. Our daughter started with Elizabeth when she was 15 years old and played with an improper bow hold, poor posture and was behind on repertoire from other students her age. Elizabeth embraced our daughter’s challenges and created a plan to remedy the issues. Thanks to Elizabeth, our daughter is now playing advanced pieces with a beautiful bow hold using correct posture. In a year and a half with Elizabeth, our daughter attended major master classes, camps, and performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and The Liederkranz Foundation Concert Hall. Elizabeth is knowledgeable and proactive with competitions, recitals, performances, camps, master classes, and various other opportunities that she involves her students with. Elizabeth’s teaching is gentle, clear in communication, structured, and logical. Her teaching staff is dedicated, talented, motivated, and reliable. The families in Elizabeth’s studio are warm, inviting, friendly, and always ready to help each other out. We are blessed that our daughter is a student of the Elizabeth Faidley violin studio."
- Matt and Alicia Smith
"Elizabeth is the teacher everyone wishes they can study with and cherishes when they find such a teacher. It has been my daughter’s good fortune to be able to study with Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the perfect balance of inspiring but approachable, exacting but nurturing and fun but focused. My daughter and Elizabeth have developed a wonderful rapport. Elizabeth has a special gift of being able to get into a student’s head and identify what the best pedagogical approach and communication style are for the particular student. While Elizabeth has helped my daughter in so many ways musically (technique, expression, interpretation), what I am most grateful to Elizabeth for is the increased confidence my daughter has gained through studying with Elizabeth. Some is due to improvements in her playing but more is due to Elizabeth’s unwavering support and encouragement. The strength of her faith and dedication to her students is nothing short of extraordinary. For example, she expends vast amounts of energy to organize numerous special events (recitals, master classes, workshops) throughout the year. Lastly, Elizabeth’s teaching talent is rivaled by her organizational and communication skills - they are beyond exceptional. She not only manages her studio schedule but also tracks her students’ everything from competition deadlines and performance dates, auditions and their requirements to pre-competition and pre-audition rehearsals."
- Mei N, mom of Abigail, 16