Hilde Skomedal
Contact: Hilde Skomedal
+41786814979
"My lessons are very naturally adapted to the needs of each individual, and it gives me real pleasure to see each person's abilities come to the fore, regardless of their level. I'm convinced that, just as you learn to speak without reading, you don't need to know how to read notes to learn to play an instrument. For the youngest children, I use singing and imitation, and little by little, depending on the rhythm of each child, reading and music theory are integrated into the lessons."
A Norwegian cellist, I trained in Oslo before coming to Lausanne for my concert master's degree. I then specialised in baroque cello with Bruno Cocset at the HEM in Geneva. I've been teaching cello for over 10 years. I really enjoy teaching privately, but I've also been attached to international schools, and for several years now I've been coming to the Steiner School in Lausanne to give lessons there. With a fellow violinist, we organised the music camp ‘LES VIOLONS+CELLES DANS LES VIGNES’ in Aran in the Lavaux.
As well as teaching, I have a very varied career. I work regularly with the region's baroque ensembles, but I've also led contemporary creation projects. I enjoy playing with jazz musicians as much as with my classical colleagues in my trios « Lyra » and « Synklisi ». I'm passionate about the link between music and dance, and I love collaborating with singers. The cello is the ideal instrument for carrying other people's voices.
I give cello lessons to all ages (really! My pupils range from 5 to 80) and all levels. The length of the lesson is also adapted: 30 minutes for the little ones, 45 for the older ones, and between 60 and 120 minutes for adults and the more advanced.
I use games and body exercises to establish good cello technique. For me, good technique respects the physics of the human body and builds a solid foundation that allows pain-free playing. Like dance movements, gestures are linked to expression, and a connection to physical sensations can be heard. One of my aims is to enable students to know what they want to express with their music, to find their voice and to broaden their palette of sounds and musical styles.
I offer all my students opportunities to play in an ensemble. Group playing brings an inestimable richness to music, and is quite simply an enormous source of joy! I also give baroque cello lessons, for those who want to approach the cello and music in general from a historical angle.