Professor's words

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Masterclasses

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References

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Publications

Dear students,

As you have certainly already noticed, the world of music has evolved a great deal over recent years. To find your place as a cellist in the professional world today, you certainly need to possess solid technique, have developed a strong artistic identity and be both physically and mentally resilient; however you also need to demonstrate immense creativity, boundless curiosity, an exceptional openness of spirit, lots of perseverance and an enormous capacity to adapt and communicate. I know a thing or two about this, but it’s by no means easy every day. The clear trajectory of the soloist who wins an international competition and is immediately thrust into the circuit and the reassuring road of the orchestra musician who finds a prestigious position after completing their studies are nowadays nothing other than exceptions. My aim as a teacher is therefore not to train soloists, chamber musicians or orchestra musicians, but to give you the tools you need to make your dream come true: to become a professional musician in the broad sense of the term. I will never discourage you or take the wind out of your sails by quoting realism; on the contrary, it is my mission to give you all the tools you need to define, adjust and realize your professional project using your strengths. Knowing how to harness your positive attributes, I believe, is the key to artistic and professional success, even though, of course, it is essential to work on weaknesses and turn them into qualities, where possible. However, nobody is perfect and that’s how things should be.
To effectively help you, I have studied pedagogical and didactic tools that favor the development of artistic identity. Technique is, of course, essential, but it needs to be developed in line with your artistic ideas and serve the music.
I have also focused on tools that develop technical and musical independence. Indeed, the sooner you can stand on your own two feet, the sooner you will be free, free in your choices, which is aligned with my absolute priority: to develop your artistic identity.
In my teaching, I also pay particular attention to methods that optimize your personal practice. Being able to self-evaluate is, for example, a priceless tool that helps you improve in your daily practice, while giving you the tools to best manage the ups and downs that define the lives of every musician.
Finally, I am interested in methods that are likely to optimize your performance (Yoga, Alexander Technique, Mental Training, Sophrology, etc.). Every musician must be able to give the very best they can in all circumstances thanks, notably, to solid technique, strong artistic choices and an adaptive mentality.
I will end with a quote taken from Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra which was later put to music by Richard Strauss: “Our stride tells us whether we are already walking our own path. But somebody who is getting closer to their goal, well, they dance”.

I wish for you all to dance, to dance freely with your cello.

Estelle Revaz

Find out more about my career below:

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2022 | 2023 | 2024

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München

Estelle Revaz masters her instrument to the highest level. She has very strong ideas about music that offer new opportunities; this makes me very excited. I talked to her about pedagogical topics, and I was impressed by her knowledge and clear-sightedness. It’s rare to meet a renowned soloist and chamber musician in possession of such detailed pedagogical knowledge. This probably comes from her complementary degree in music pedagogy, however it also demonstrates her interest in sharing her knowledge with future generations. I consider Estelle Revaz to be a teacher, a cellist and an exceptional musician.

Prof. Lena Neudauer

HEMU

Estelle Revaz is an excellent teacher. Students always greet her with great enthusiasm and her teaching inspires them. Her technical and musical suggestions are exemplary and she employs a student-focused approach. She also knows how to structure her teaching so that students can develop in the short, medium and long term. She also encourages students to develop their instrumental independence, their artistic personality as well as their entrepreneurial spirit to best prepare for the requirements of the professional world. Estelle Revaz is very committed and loves to share her musical and instrumental knowledge as well as her passion for music.

Prof. Susan Rybicki-Varga

Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla

Estelle Revaz has been invited several times to the Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla and her masterclasses were greatly appreciated. Miss Revaz has shown high level pedagogical abilities and remarkable human qualities, and she has many resources to suggest pragmatic solutions to technical problems presented by her students. She makes her broad spectrum of musical competence available to her students, stimulating their creativity and encouraging them to develop their own ideas. Estelle Revaz communicates clearly and in a positive manner, she creates an atmosphere which is friendly and constructive, instilling the confidence necessary for her students to benefit maximally from her courses. Always smiling and full of energy, she gives particular attention to each student, encouraging them to surpass themselves.

Prof. Larisa Orloff
Prof. Matias Villafrañe
Prof. María Teresa Fainstein Day

Free State University

During August 2018, Estelle Revaz visited my violoncello class at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She presented masterclasses ton some of my students and they were very impressed with her pedagogical skills and her easy way of explaining technical and musical issues. Each student was taught to his or her individual needs and during the short period of teaching, they made excellent progress. Estelle Revaz has a friendly, cheerful and dynamic personality and is a great organiser. I have no hesitation in recommending Estelle Revaz strongly.

Prof. Anmari van der Westhuizen

Orquesta Juvenil del Sodre

The students are passionate about Estelle Revaz’ master classes. Her technical advice enables them to progress rapidly and her comments about music inspire them for a long time. Estelle Revaz puts a lot of energy into helping students individually. Whatever the age, level, or background of the students, she knows how to adapt and find a good balance between demands and empathy.

Claudia Rieiro, Academic Director

Kalaidos Musikhochschule

Estelle Revaz is a magnificent musician who intuitively knows how to approach music and use her intellect to interpret it in an enlightened way. She is, in fact, capable of defending her artistic choices for every piece she interprets and giving a very powerful performance thanks to her total mastery of her instrument. Likewise, she has impressive pedagogical skills. She knows how to work with each student as an individual and gives clear explanations and examples, using technique to serve the music. She cares about developing students’ independence and creates a relaxed learning environment that favors creativity. Estelle Revaz is very competent, well-organized and extremely committed, and I would recommend her without hesitation.

Frank-Thomas Mitschke, Director

Universidad Nacional de las Artes

Estelle Revaz presented cello master classes at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes in April, 2019 and will return in October, 2019, to the great delight of our institution. Estelle Revaz offers a pedagogy that is rich and creative, based on strong instrumental skills. She readily shares her stage experience with the students, and her wide repertoire allows her to offer high quality instrumental examples. Her technical analysis is highly developed, and the options presented are very precisely defined. In order to promote autonomy in her students, Estelle Revaz takes the methodology of personal work very seriously, and encourages their ability to evaluate their own development. Thanks to her theoretical knowledge and her very effective use of new technologies, Estelle Revaz approaches the work of the repertoire in its totality, which allows the students to present a clear and personal interpretation. Finally, she easily addresses the performance problem, whether it be from the vantage point of preparation (instrumental, physical, mental), of the moment (on stage attitude, stress management), or of results (management of success or failure). Estelle Revaz communicates very effectively, which allows her students to fully understand the course content. Estelle Revaz is brilliant, radiant and authentic, and her boldness, audacity, fantasy and warmth make her a model for the new generation.

Prof. Cristina Vazquez, Director

Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln

Estelle Revaz is an exceptional and multi-faceted cellist, showcasing her extraordinary talent, deep artistic personality and beautiful mastery of the cello on many international stages. Her solo performances are just as strong as her chamber performances. From our many conversations, I can also say that Estelle Revaz is particularly interested and enterprising when it comes to teaching. In addition, she is a very kind, well-organized and reliable colleague.

Prof. Ralph Manno

China Conservatory

Estelle Revaz has come to the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing to give masterclasses of cello and chamber music in 2016 and 2018. She has always shown herself very present and helpful towards our students. Estelle Revaz has a pertinent way of analyzing the technical difficulties of each student and she proposes appropriate solutions which she explains and demonstrates very efficiently. From a musical point of view, she stimulates the imagination of her students by encouraging them to speak, sing, dance and mime. She also helps them to analyze scores in detail. She defends the stylistic dimension of interpretation by sharing with her students her theoretical, historical and cultural knowledge. Madam Revaz’s very high instrumental level, her radiance on stage, as in her masterclasses, her energy and her enthusiasm together with her professionalism and sense of commitment, are a great source of inspiration for our students.

Prof. Yi Xiao

Austrian Master Classes

For the first time, cellist Estelle Revaz was invited this year to give masterclasses as part of Austrian Master Classes. She proved herself to be a competent teacher with a deep knowledge of the repertoire, whatever the style, and a very sensitive musician. Her work with participants was based on didactic and pedagogical tools as well as captivating ideas about music. She demonstrated, in all circumstances, a very sensitive approach to teaching, regardless of the age or level of the students, showing her stylistic and didactic knowledge which is in line with her successful career as a cellist.

ao. Univ.Prof. Georg Steinschaden

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