George Ewart - Violin teacher and concert violinist

George Ewart was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and began playing the violin at seven years of age under the guidance of his Grandfather who was an orchestral musician. Two years later he became a pupil of Hermann Mcleod of Newcastle and continued to study with him until he was fifteen years old when he began studies at Newcastle College of Music. During this period he performed Haydn's second violin concerto with the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra.

In 1971 George, at seventeen, became a student of Bela Katona at Trinity College of Music, London. He studied with him for five years gaining the college's performers' diploma and numerous awards for outstanding ability.

On leaving Trinity, George joined the English Chamber Orchestra and later the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden, where he was appointed no.6 1st violin. During this time he had the opportunity to work with many eminent conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Georg Solti, Carlos Kleiber and Bernard Haitink. He also took part in numerous broadcasts and recordings and played in the orchestra at the wedding of the Prince of Wales in 1981. He stayed with Royal Opera for five years and he left in August 1981 to return for a further course of study with Bela Katona.

In December 1983 he entered the Sascha Lasserson International Violin Competition and was awarded the first prize.

In recent years George has pursued a busy concert schedule with recital and concert engagements in London, the provinces and abroad. He has performed a wide repertoire of concerti and chamber music and continues to widen his orchestral experience. He is currently leader of the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra and principal violin with the English Symphony Orchestra and leader of the ESO String Quartet.

George has over twenty-five years of teaching experience and has taught violin privately at home and at Hereford Cathedral School since 1991. He teaches children from the age of four upwards as well as many adults and postgraduate students. He believes in establishing a secure violin technique as early as possible.

You may contact George about violin tuition by visiting his "Find a Music Teacher" page on TAF Music.