Our strings instruments teachers

Guitar

Pablo Aubia was born in Argentina. He began musical training at age eight, and then moved to Geneva, where he studied with Francisco Carbonell and obtained his certificate in guitar studies at CPMDT (Conservatory Popular of Music). He then honed his skills in New York, USA and Havana, Cuba.

In 1999, Aubia created his first Latin jazz group, Batambo. With this group, he recorded the Salsa Mambo Cha cha cha (CD 2005) which was distributed internationally by ARC Music Productions International.

In 2010, Aubia recorded Salsa con Timba in Puerto Rico for which he composed music and arrangements. José M. Lugo, winner of eight Grammy Awards, produced the CD with internationally renowned artists: José Pepito Gomez, Osvaldo Roman, Bernie Perez, Wichy Camacho and Gino Meléndez. The distributor is Select-o-Hits.

Since 2010 Aubia performs once a month at Le Chat Noir (a club in Geneva) with his Latin music band Noche de Salsa Live. He also performs regularly with his Latin-jazz band Tumbao Aché.

In 2011 he created the association VEART to bring music and art to the Libellules neighbourhood in Vernier. He is now director of this association, teaches guitar, and conducts the salsa and Latin jazz workshop Opus Mambo.

Aubia teaches guitar at L’AMAmusique since 1992.

Guitar

Born in Syros, Greece, 17-year-old Angelos left his homeland to pursue musical studies in Aix-en-Provence. During his stay in France he obtained his guitar degree (DEM) with honors in Darius Milhaud Conservatory, as well the Bachelor’s degree in musicology at Aix-Marseille University.

In parallel to his apprenticeship with Alberto Vingiano, Angelos has attended master classes with Roland Dyens, Pablo Marquez, Alvaro Pierri, Ricardo Gallén, Frères Assad, Carles Trepat, William Kanengiser, Sébastien Vachez and Derek Gripper.

He has been leading an active career in solo performances throughout Europe and was the winner of the 23rd Hermoupolis Guitar Festival competition.

Since his successful enrollment in the Music Academy of Geneva (HEM) he has been honored with the scholarship of excellence to pursue further studies alongside Dusan Bogdanovic.

With a great passion for teaching, Angelos worked as a guitar professor in three municipal conservatories in France before his moving to Geneva.

During his long experience with students of all ages he has refined an easy, efficient and engaging method, organized around self-expression and creativity.

Listen to Angelos:

Asturias – Isaac Albeniz

Introduction and Passacaglia for The Golden Flower – Dusan Bogdanovic

Cello – chamber music.

Born in Paris into a family of Genevan musicians, Jean-Marc Binet studied in Rome (Italy), Geneva (Switzerland), and Mannheim (Germany). He took advanced courses at the Accademia Chigiana of Siena in Italy as well as in Finland and England. In 1986, he moved to Geneva where he divides his time between work with orchestra and chamber music.

Since 1992 Binet teaches at the Conservatory in Ferney-Voltaire (France) and at L’AMAmusique. He is particularly interested in what it means to teach music today.

Since 2002 he leads the junior strings orchestra at Gex and in 2015 he took on the Symphony Orchestra at Ferney-Voltaire. As from 2005 he has been responsible for the Music and Dance Workshop in Evolène, Valais. He collaborates regularly with several chamber music ensembles, with which he gives concerts in France, Switzerland and Italy.

Violin – Chamber music – Artistic Direction of L’AMAmusique Symphony Orchestra

Andrea Bottaro graduated from the Conservatory of Vicenza, and then sharpened his skills at Geneva’s University of Music (HEM) with the accomplished violinist and pedagogue Corrado Romano.

At the age of 20, he won the solo violin competition of the Orchestre de l’Europe and then collaborated with the well-known American and European conductors and soloists (L. Maazel, C. Dutoit, Z. Mehta, A . Jordan, Y. Temirkanov, E. Imbhal, V. Repin, M. Vengerov), in prestigious places throughout Europe and Asia.

Bottaro has worked with the Zürich Chamber Orchestra and the Filarmonica Toscanini Orchestra.

He is currently solo violin in the Orchestra dell’Accademia Musica of Vincenza (Dir Filippo Maria Bressan) and the Orchestra e Coro Città di Vicenza.

Since 2014, Bottaro has worked with the ensembles I Solisti Filarmonici Italiani, i Cameristi della Scala, the Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra.

At L’AMAmusique Andrea Bottaro teaches violin and chamber music, and is also artistic director of the Orchestra.

Violin 

Ariel Bühler trained with Roberto Sawicki in Geneva, Patrick Genet in Lausanne and Fribourg, and Isabelle van Keulen in Basel. He also studied with Michael Schnitzler in Vienna, Jaroslav Vanecek in London, Wolfgang Marschner in Freiburg-im-Breisgau and Hansheinz Schneeberger in Basel.

Bühler has been a member of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra since 1997, and of the Camerata Schweiz since 2004. He occasionally participates in concerts with other orchestras. Bühler also performs solo, solo with piano, and in various chamber music ensembles.

He has been teaching violin at L’AMAmusique since 2003.

Violin – Visiting Professor

Saskia Filippini was born in Lugano. She studied at the Geneva Conservatory with Corrado Romano, gratuated with with honours and won First Prize for virtuosity.

Filippini then refined her skills with Sandor Végh and obtained a first prize for quartet in the Colmar Competition. She is a founding member of Contrechamps, a contemporary music ensemble.

She teaches at the CPMDT (Conservatoire Populaire de Musique, Danse et Théâtre)) and Studio Kodaly, she participates in a number of educational projects.

Filippini played solo violin in the Geneva Chamber Orchestra for several years, and at the same time trained on the baroque violin.

Today, Filippini combines her work as a chamber musician with teaching. At L’AMAmusique she teaches violin classes and offers experience in chamber music that covers a wide repertoire and that corresponds to the needs and expectations of amateur musicians.

Viola da gamba

Cecilia Knudtsen was born in Argentina. Upon arrival in Switzerland, Knudtsen began her musical training at the Early Music Centre of the Geneva Conservatory of Music as well as at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel.

Being particularly sensitive to the influence of breathing in instrumental practice, Knudtsen trained in a form of respiratory coordination known as MDH.

Knudtsen regularly performs in concert in numerous ensembles: Chiome d’Oro (Switzerland), Harmonia Instrumentalis (Switzerland), Dominos (France), La Cappella Mediterranea (Switzerland), Concerto Ensemble (Italy), Musica Fiorita ( Switzerland), The Broken Concert (France), La Batalla Ensemble (Switzerland), Fata la parte (Switzerland), On the Back of a Bird (France).

She teaches classes for viola da gamba, ensemble music and improvisation at the CPMDT (Conservatoire Populaire de Musique, Danse et Théâtre) as well as viola da gamba and consort of violas at L’AMAmusique and early music at Geneva’s University of Music (HEM).

Knudtsen’s work with the viola da gamba makes it possible for her to tackle the rich repertoire of Renaissance and baroque with a strong emphasis on ensemble work.

Double Bass

violon

Nathalie Saudan studied violin in Geneva and Bienne under Christine Ragaz.

Beside her teaching activity, she specialized in baroque music under Florence Malgoire and graduated through a post-grade degree. She’s performing in a wide range of styles such as improvised music (jazz), chamber music (classical music), and theatre music.

Founder member of l’AMA musique, she also worked at the HEM of Berne, as co-responsible for master degrees. Today, she teaches violin and chamber music at Neuchâtel Conservatory, and at École de culture générale Jean Piaget in Geneva.

Violoncelle

Amandine Lecras is originally from Normandy, France. She obtained a Master of Music in Cello Performance in 2003, studying under Daniel Grosgurin and graduating with honours. Her studies subsequently took her to Perpignan to study a Master Class under Yven Chen before continuing her studies at the Tibor Varga Conservatory and Academy of Music in Sion, Switzerland where she successfully obtained a Soloist Master under Marcia Carnerio. She further advanced her career by expanding into Education through obtaining a Pedagogic Master’s degree studying under François Salque at HEMU (Haute École de Musique) in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2010. Additionally, she is alumni of the Sorbonne University in Paris where she acquired a degree in musicology.

Notably, Amandine has performed in almost 25 counties in her capacity as a soloist; a chamber music professional; an orchestra professional; and in a myriad of festivals (Festival Archipelago, Miyazaki International Festival, Arles in Music, Cernier Music Gardens, St Moritz, Gstaad, Weinberger Festival, Suquet Festival, Montebello).

She has worked closely with several legendary and prominent personalities such as Joshua Bell, Misha Maisky, Maxim Vengerov, Renaud Capuçon, Christophe Desjardins. She has played under the direction of notable Conductors such as Marek Janovsky, Charles Dutoit, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta, and has performed within some of the most world-renowned concert venues (Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Opera House, Mozarteum, Avery Fisher Hall, Victoria Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall, Isaac Stern Hall).

Amandine was a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra from 2005-2011; a cello-soloist for the Camerata of Lausanne under the musical direction of Pierre Amoyal; and regularly performs with the Swiss Romande Orchestra (l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande) and Sinfonietta Orchestra of Lausanne (l’Orchestre Sinfonietta de Lausanne). Very active within the contemporary music field, Amandine is also a founding member of the Lemanic Modern Ensemble to which she has dedicated ten years of performing.

Amandine currently teaches at AMA Music (L’AMAmusique) and the Conservatory of Music in Annemasse, France.