String Tutor Profiles

Olga Vorontsova - Senior Tutor Strings

• Violin Tutor
• Conductor of Junior String Orchestra
  

Olga originates from Russia. She fell in love with the violin and began playing at a very young age. She has worked at music schools in Russia and the Ukraine, teaching the violin and heading the string department.

After moving to New Zealand with her family, Olga continued teaching the violin. She joined the Howick School of Music in 2002 and is now Senior Tutor of Strings, teaches violin in groups, pairs and individually and also conducts the Junior String ensemble.

Olga is passionate about teaching the violin to children, and aslo playing the violin at every possible opportunity. When not teaching, she likes to spend as much time with her family, her friends and her dog.

Emma Tabachnik

Violinist Emma Tabachnik (MMus) began her musical training in Latvia at the age of 5 at the Emil Darzin Talent Music School in Riga.
She later studied with and received a Master of Music degree from the Latvian Sate Music Conservatoire in Riga both in performance and in teaching. Emma studied piano as a second instrument.
As an active performer Emma started with the Orchestra of Opera Theatre touring Latvia at the age of 16. Emma appeared in solo recitals and with various chamber groups and orchestras worldwide (Latvia, Russia, Finland, Germany, New Zealand).
Emma came to Wellington, New Zealand in 1992 and in the same year started playing with the Wellington Regional Orchestra – later Wellington Sinfonia – as a violinist. She played with the orchestra, progressing to Principal of Second Violins, until the end of 2002 when she moved to Auckland. Emma also led a quartet as the First violin.
Emma started teaching in 1977 in Children Talent Music Schools in Latvia. Her students won various honours at local and national music competitions both in solo performance and in chamber groups.
Coming to New Zealand, Emma carried on teaching violin and chamber music privately and in music schools. Her students have won many competitions in Wellington and Auckland. Her students consistently pass Royal Schools of Music examinations, most with Distinction or High Distinction. Emma has been invited to act as a tutor at chamber music tutorials and competitions in Auckland and Wellington.
At present Emma Tabachnik is teaching violin both privately and in Howick School of Music.

Li Jie (Julie) Zhu

Julie has played viola in the Guanzhou Symphony Orchestra from 1976-1996. During this period she performed all over China. She is also a member of the Chinese Musician’s Association.

In 1995 Julie was invited to perform in London and Scotland as part of the first all-women Chinese string quartet. She was ranked nationally as a music performer in the higher class during 1996.

After immigrating to New Zealand in 1996, Julie played in Auckland Sinfonietta for a short while but she now teaches violin full time and teaches violin and viola at the Howick School of Music.