Classical Music News

SAD NEWS | Juilliard School Violin Pedagogue Shirley Givens Has Passed Away - Aged 86

January 10, 2018

2 MIN READ

Respected American violin pedagogue and children's music teaching book author Ms Shirley Givens has passed away

Respected American violin pedagogue and children's music teaching book author, Ms Shirley Givens has passed away - in New York City, aged 86.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied with Ivan Galamian and the original Juilliard String Quartet, Ms Givens served long term teaching positions on faculty at The Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory.

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She was also the author of the ‘Givens Method’ and the ‘Adventures in Violinland’ children's violin instructional books.

Ms Givens' famed students included Pamela Frank, Joseph Lin, Joseph Swensen and Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster, David Kim.

"I had the privilege of studying with Miss Givens at the Aspen Music Festival and Juilliard Pre-College when I was 10 years old," David Kim has told The Violin Channel.

"Miss Givens positively glowed with goodwill and encouragement and my time studying with her was joyful ... one of the greats has left us," he has said.

"Shirley Givens taught our daughter Leora and had the patience of a saint," violinist Itzhak Perlman has told The Violin Channel.