Stéphane Tran Ngoc has been a violin teacher for almost four decades, in some of the best conservatories in France (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon, currently
Pôle Sup’93), the USA (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music), and the UK (London College of Music). He has also been invited to teach in numerous master classes and has set up a program called “Violin in Vietnam” that allows him to teach in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Through his teaching, he has been able to transmit the knowledge acquired from his former masters (Dorothy Delay/Juilliard School, Itzhak Perlman), his understanding of other great pedagogues (Galamian, Hoppenot, Alexander Technique, etc.), and years of deep personal research in violin technique. His teaching is focused on a full and true understanding of the physics required to master the technique stress-free, including instrument balance in connection to the body, as well as mental preparation and performing tools. He is an advocate of playing "On The Thumb", a technique allowing one to play freely without tension and without a shoulder rest, similarly as did the great masters of the 20th centur, and has given masterclasses on the topic in Europe, Asia, and the US. Alongside this approach, the understanding of the musical style, the composers’ meaning, and how to interpret their music are constant key elements.
Many of his former students are now among the best of their generation, performing as soloists, in internationally recognized chamber ensemble or in major orchestras.
