Philadelphia Area Voilin Teachers

Elisabeth Shertzer

A violinist since the age of five and tubist since the age of 16, Elisabeth Shertzer is a graduate of Temple University's Boyer College of Music, where she earned a degree in Music Theory. At Boyer, Elisabeth studied with violinist Helen Kwalwasser and tubist Jay Krush, and she also took part in various large and small ensembles. In addition to participating in ensembles at Boyer, Elisabeth marched tuba with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from 2011 to 2013.

Since 2012, Elisabeth has been teaching violin and tuba students varying in ages from young children to adults, and she has also taught high school marching band and drum corps. In addition to teaching lessons, Elisabeth regularly performs with her two groups, Port Arthur and Iris Freeheart, and her playing has appeared on records by the Pine Barons, Chet Williams, No Thank You, Thin Lips, Todd Fausnacht and the Well Whiskey Wind Whistlers, and others.

Emma Method

Emma Method is currently pursuing a degree in Viola Performance at Temple University. She has been teaching both violin and viola for a number of years, working with beginning and intermediate musicians of all ages. Inspired by the famous pedagogue Karen Tuttle, Emma teaches with a focus of relaxation, total body integration, and breathing, as well as other aspects from Tuttle’s “Coordination Technique”. The choice of materials, while always including a mix of technique and repertoire, is specifically developed alongside the student, as teaching should always be a highly individualized process.

As a violist, Emma has performed with the Temple University Concert Orchestra as principal violist, and the Grammy nominated TU Symphony Orchestra as a section violist, performing with them in the Kimmel Center and Alice Tully Hall. Previously, she was the principal violist in the Stretto Chamber Orchestra, touring with them through Eastern Europe in 2014. For a number of summers, Emma worked and performed at the Blue Mountain Chamber Music Festival, as well as volunteering at the associated day camp. Currently, she studies with Kerri Ryan, associate principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and has previously studied with respected violinists Genaro Medina and Robert Vieira.

Alexia Lekos

Ms. Alexia Lekos is originally from East Greenwich, Rhode Island and moved to Fredonia, NY to pursue a dual major in Music Therapy and Applied Music with concentrations in violin and piano and a minor in Psychology at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Ms. Lekos has completed 120 hours in the clinical setting working with older adults, adults and children in addition to field teaching in an early childhood setting for three semesters. 

Outside of clinical and field teaching placements she is heavily involved with campus leadership. On campus she gave private adaptive violin, piano and ukelele lessons including the New Horizons Band of Western New York, a group providing opportunities for the "chronologically gifted" adults (50 and older) to learn to play a musical instrument and enjoy playing with others. 

Ms. Lekos is the founder of the Fredonia Ukulele Club since Spring 2016, encouraging amateur musicianship through playing the ukulele and provides opportunities for collaborative music making within the campus community and the greater Fredonia community. Both the club and New Horizons have contributed to creating the workshop, "Expanding Ukulele Technique in the Clinical Setting", which was presented at the Student Research and Creative Exposition in Fredonia, NY, the 2017 Regional Passages Conference at Molloy College and the 2018 Mid Atlantic Regional American Music Therapy Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. The website, www.uke4muty.com, is designed for the presentation, giving access to ukulele sheet music and offer possible applications with the intention for professionals to utilize this resource within their practice. Today she continues to give ukulele instruction to individuals and ensembles. 

Ms. Lekos is an active violinist, continuing to participate in numerous small and large ensembles including string chamber ensembles and the College Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in a masterclass featuring Jiah Chapdelaine from the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she was the musical director at the Fredonia Place Baptist Church and has played in other community ensembles such as The Trinity Masterwork Choir in Fredonia, NY and the South Country Chamber Orchestra in Narragansett, RI. This past October, Ms. Lekos gave her graduation recital featuring works by Mozart, Burgmuller, and de Falla. She continues to play violin in order to make music for herself.