About
EDUCATION
Yale University School of Music | New Haven, CT | 2020-2025
• Doctor of Musical Arts
Yale University School of Music | New Haven, CT | 2016-2018
• Master of Music
• Major teachers: Ettore Causa and Steven Tenenbom
East Carolina University |Greenville, NC | 2015-2016
• Certificate of Advanced Performance Studies, Viola Performance
• Major teachers: Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim
East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | 2011-2015
• Bachelor of Music, Violin Performance
AWARDS
Philip F. Nelson Prize | Yale School of Music | 2018
• The Philip Francis Nelson Prize, which is awarded to a graduating student whose musicianship is outstanding and who demonstrates curiosity, talent, and the entrepreneurial spirit in the many dimensions of the music profession
Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award | Yale School of Music | 2017
• The Presser Foundation Music Award is awarded to an outstanding returning student to advance his or her music education who is nominated by Robert Blocker, Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music, Yale University.
Interdisciplinary Arts Award | Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media | 2017
• The Interdisciplinary Arts Award supports collaborative arts projects by Yale University students, both graduate and undergraduate and is awarded to projects that demonstrated an ability to collaborate across fields with creative and critical insight, and thereby reflect the interdisciplinary arts research mission of the CCAM
Graduate Fellow | Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media | 2017-2018
• Represented YSM interests as they pertained to the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media
• Hosted guest lecturer multi-sensory artist Jacob Marshall and his internationally acclaimed exhibition “Light”
• Led weekly workshops and revolving around personal research interests and skills of interdisciplinary arts practices via novel concert presentations
• Responsibilities included fostering an environment of creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and inclusiveness for all users at the Center, helping to ensure the proper use of its resources and the safety of its users
TEACHING
Over the last 16 years in the studio, Florrie has taught students from undergraduates and graduate students at Yale University to suburban Newport News, VA and the New Haven Public School System, ranging in technical ability and age from 3-73. In recent years as a guest teaching artist at programs such as the Next Generation Residency at East Carolina University School of Music, she has presented masterclasses, coached chamber music and has led by example in side-by-side performance settings.
Coming from a long heritage of musicians of both teachers and performers, I have always valued the importance of passing down an art form. Whether my students are developing artists on a more advanced level, or if I am sharing music on their instrument with them for the first time, I approach my work as a teacher with joy and inspiration.
Photos and videos
Reviews
Diener
Sara O.
Kate
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When I first welcome a student into my studio, I have an in-depth session where we discuss past performance history (if any) and goals with the instrument. I discuss with each student an approach and a schedule that will work for them to reach their individual goals.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Yale University School of Music | New Haven, CT | 2016-2018
• Doctor of Musical Arts
Yale University School of Music | New Haven, CT | 2016-2018
• Master of Music
• Major teachers: Ettore Causa and Steven Tenenbom
East Carolina University |Greenville, NC | 2015-2016
• Certificate of Advanced Performance Studies
• Major teachers: Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim
East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | 2011-2015
• Bachelor of Music
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I work with each individual and family to decide on a rate that is affordable.
How did you get started teaching?
I am lucky to have come from a family of musicians and music teachers. My grandparents and parents were all teachers, so my home environment was filled with music lessons as early as I can remember. I began teaching when I was 14 years old and was directly mentored in my teaching by my own private teacher. I was observed by my teacher during the first couple of years of my own teaching, getting feedback and guidance to shape my approach as a teacher to my own students.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have taught students from undergraduates and graduate students at Yale University to suburban Newport News, VA and the New Haven Public School System, ranging in technical ability and age from 3-73. In recent years as a guest teaching artist at programs such as the Next Generation Residency at East Carolina University School of Music, I have presented masterclasses, coached chamber music and has led by example in side-by-side performance settings.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I presented “A Concert on Memory,” under the direction of The Sound Bridges at Grace Hopper College, Yale University | 2018
• Featured the world premiere of commissioned work “Grace Hopper" String Quartet, by composer Liliya Ugay
• Through music and poetic narration, this concert explored relationships among “technological memory,” made possible by the foundational computer work of Grace Hopper; “aural memory,” with which composers engage for maximum impact through their music; and “social memory,” from the perspective of artists who believe in the importance of preserving the memory of social happenings
• I organized and executed event including pitched concert proposal to the venue; implemented all marketing/advertising, booking of artists, coordination of rehearsal schedules, and wrote a summary review of the concert for publication
• A scholarly article will be published on the inspiration and execution of this project and its impact on the community by which it was inspired
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Look for a teacher with experience, and with an open mind to approach the lessons and the curriculum to best suit the needs of the individual student. No two students are the same, and everyone has their own best way of learning.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Consider what your personal and/or professional goals are with the instrument, and be prepared to discuss that with your potential teacher.