Students and families

Berfin has tutored my now 8-year-old son for almost 18 months and has been a fantastic violin teacher.

She is very patient, kind and creative with the lessons, adapting them for him each time to fit his energy, mood and engagement, to try and get the most out of him. She also sets homework and expects him to practice outside of the lesson regularly, without undue pressure — an expectation he has been proud to rise to.

This means he finds his lessons enjoyable and he likes both playing the violin and his teacher very much. In fact we had another violin teacher before Berfin and after a few lessons it became clear that she was able to help him develop musically more than his previous tutor.

She is also professional, reliable and flexible with the teaching timings; it goes without saying that she is clearly very competent with the violin, having seen her play with her orchestra before.

My son and I cannot recommend Berfin highly enough. It is an absolute pleasure to have her help him on his musical journey.

Even when I can’t do something, Berfin always supports me and makes me smile. She is my favourite teacher. She makes me more inspired about violin. She is the best.

Berfin makes me braver and more confident. And happy. She always makes lessons fun.

Berfin’s lessons are my secret to bring my violin skills quickly and solidly to the next level. Her profound understanding of the instrument’s technique, coupled with her extensive experience as a performer, makes her an invaluable resource. She possesses the unique ability to distil these exceptional qualities into easily understandable and precise instructions, and reinforces her teachings with captivating demonstrations that truly bring the lessons to life.

Berfin’s approach to music education is comprehensive, encompassing every facet of musical creation. She seamlessly navigates the intricacies of technique, guiding students through the mechanical aspects while also emphasizing the importance of expression, phrasing, and musical language. Whether teaching children or adults, Berfin’s remarkable ability to create a relaxed and comfortable environment enables her to adapt her teaching methods to suit each individual’s needs.

My favourite lesson: a meticulous analysis of Bach’s exquisite gigue from his Sonatas & Partitas. This deep dive into the composition provided an enriching experience that truly expanded my understanding of Bach’s musical genius.

Berfin is a great tutor. You can tell she’s got plenty of experience and true passion for the violin. She totally adapted to all my needs in all possible ways, by assessing where I was standing, listening to what I wanted to achieve and creating a plan which included different exercises to meet the goal, reassessing often depending on the progress, coming up with new ideas and exercises. She’s very knowledgeable, patient and a great teacher. I highly recommend her.

Berfin has been my daughter’s violin teacher for the last three years. As well as being an excellent tutor she has been kind, friendly and patient with my daughter.

Berfin has a wonderful ability to relate to people. She has excellent skill and enthusiasm which helped my daughter want to learn. It is unfortunate that we had to end the lessons as my daughter is moving to another city for her university education. My daughter really enjoyed her lessons. We’ll really miss Berfin.

I would highly recommend Berfin as a teacher.

Berfin is an intuitive, compassionate and dedicated tutor who really aided my progress in playing the violin. Her calm and patient manner helped me to make headway with the tricky skill, while her friendly and outgoing personality put me at ease and ensured that the lessons were incredibly enjoyable. Berfin’s years of expertise and professional playing makes her the perfect guide for anyone who would like to try their hand at mastering the violin.