Teaching

Helen Neilson has developed a reputation as a successful teacher of cellists at a variety of ages and levels. She particularly enjoys working with children in the earliest stages of learning and setting them up with a good basis for relating to the cello on physical and musical levels. Her research into the use of the body in performance, examining perspectives from dance and Eastern spirituality as well as recent music cognition and perception literature feeds into her teaching, as well as an excellent knowledge of string pedagogical literature.

She hopes to pass on the knowledge from her studies with teachers including Anna Shuttleworth, Naomi Butterworth and Jerome Pernoo. She has observed many of the world's top cellists and teachers in masterclass situations, including Yo-Yo Ma, Slava Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Steven Doane, Frans Helmerson, Anner Bylsma, Karine Georgian, Ralph Kirshbaum and Colin Carr.

She teaches some private students at home in Battersea. Please contact Helen directly for further details and current availability. She is a holder of public liability insurance and is fully CRB checked. Helen runs performance classes with several of her students from schools, and also private students, giving them a chance to become familiar with the experience of performing right from the start.

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At Newton Preparatory School in Battersea I have a thriving class of young cellists, from age 5 upwards. They have individual lessons with me, and also participate in our junior strings programme which is taught by Anna Miller (Suzuki violin teacher) and myself. We hold regular performances and information evenings for parents.

I have a class of 11-18 year old students at a range of levels from beginner to Grade 8 + at St Pauls School for Girls. They have individual lessons with me, and many participate in a range of other musical activities at school and outside. Many choose to take Associated Board or Trinity Guildhall grade examinations.

From September 2008, Helen will take up a position as cello tutor at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith.

Helen has recently been appointed to the teaching staff at the Royal College of Music Junior Department as a deputy cello teacher.

From 2001 to 2008, Helen taught at Southwark Centre for Young Musicians which is a vibrant musical training ground for young instrumentalists in South East London. They participate in instrumental lessons, string ensemble, and a variety of other lessons including African drumming and gospel choir. The centre encourages all students to become confident in improvisation and creative musicianship skills right from the start. STAX CYM recently won an award as the best independent music centre in the UK. Helen's students from here have been awarded places to continue their studies at the Guildhall and Royal College of Music junior departments.

In summer 2003, Helen spent a period of time teaching at the Mathieson Music School in Kolkata. This is a charitable foundation for young people from deprived backgrounds, which provides them with accomodation, food, clean water, health provision and a comprehensive education as well as music tuition in strings, singing, tabla and indian dance. Helen taught individual string lessons, large string ensembles and general musicianship classes, and wrote some compositions (whilst sitting by the water pump!) specifically for performance by her students there.