Violin lessons cost $40/half hour and $78/hour, paid in advance. Lessons are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Our teacher is former child-prodigy Anna Okunev, a graduate and experienced performer in both jazz and classical violin. Anna can prepare students for exams, if that is the course they choose to take.
Anna Okunev, B.Mus (performance), L.Mus.A., Diploma (Jazz Performance).
Russian born Anna Okunev started playing violin at the age of five. After migrating to Australia, Anna continued her music education through the Young Musicians’ Program at the Australian Institute of Music and as a scholarship student at the Methodist Ladies College. Anna received her Associate Diploma in Music and soon after, her Licentiate Diploma in Music while still at school.
Anna completed a Bachelor of Music, majoring in performance at the Australian Institute of Music. Anna’s teachers included Sophie Rowell (Australian String Quartet) Robin Wilson and Charmain Gadd. In 2006 Anna received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Medowmount School of Music in New York, where she studied violin with Professor Gerardo Ribeiro of the Northwestern University in Chicago and chamber music with Patricia McCarty of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Okunev has toured nationally and abroad with both the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the Australian Youth Orchestra. She also does session work with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, the Eminence Orchestra and the Sydney International Orchestra. Some film and television credits include soundtrack recordings for Australia and Mao’s Last Dancer, Australian Idol, the annual World Aids Day concerts, Eric Idle’s Not the Messiah and Antony, and the Johnsons Symphony Tour.
Anna has worked with many well-known Australian and overseas artists. In 2008, Anna toured with Kanye West as part of his Good Vibrations Tour. Other artists include, Hank Roberts, Myra Melford, Alan Cumming, Lance Horne, Liza Minelli, Michael Buble, Todd Mckenny, Rhonda Birchmore, Jimmy Barnes and Phil Stack (Thirsty Merc).
In 2009, Anna studied at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop where she participated in string masterclasses and theory workshops with David Baker. That same year, Anna had the great pleasure of being a guest violinist on Alan Cumming’s debut album I Bought A Blue Car Today, recorded in New York’s Yellow Sound Lab.
In 2010 Anna received a scholarship to participate in the International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, (Banff, Canada) under the guidance of Dave Douglas. She was also recieved funding from the Opera and Arts Support Group for this project.
Anna teaches jazz violin, classical violin, and small ensembles as well as leading our popular and successful Jazz For Kids and Jazz for Juniors school holiday programs. In addition to her orchestral, commercial and film work, Anna can be heard performing regularly with the Marianna Ensemble, Richard Savery’s L.I.E. and her own duo Avery.