TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Since 2003, I have been enjoying teaching at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The combination of performing and teaching has been a wonderful source of human and artistic inspiration for me.
I feel blessed to have had the privilege of studying with some of the major cellists and artists of the 20th century including Bernard Greenhouse, Boris Pergamenschikow, Laurence Lesser, and Isaac Stern.
When I came to audition for Mr. Pergamenschikow in Berlin, I played the Brahms and Prokofiev Sonatas. When I finished, he said: “Excellent playing, you can come to my class when the next spot will be available, but first, I would like to get to know you better as a person and see if you are teachable. Also, I would like to give you the opportunity to decide if I’m a good teacher for you.” (Of course, I knew the latter long before my audition.)
“Moreover,” he proceeded, “if you get into my class, you will become a member of my family and I would like to make sure that I want you in my family!”
This great humanity, deep care, and concern probably taught me the best lesson of all and informed the approach I take with my own students. Sure enough, I found Mr. Pergamenschikow to be one of the best mentors I ever had and those two years with him will always be the most precious for me.
Too young to actually study with or hear the great cellists of the older generation, I was privileged to study intensively with Laurence Lesser, a fantastic teacher who gave me a unique taste of his mentor, the great Gregor Piatigorsky. I also studied with Bernard Greenhouse, a living legacy, a founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio, and a student of the “father of all cellists,” Pablo Casals.
One of my most important principles as a teacher is to pass on the rich tradition and humanity that I was so fortunate to receive from those three masters. As Bernard Greenhouse told me on many occasions, “Amit, it is now your responsibility to pass on the knowledge and musical heritage to the next generation.”
For an in-depth look at my teaching, please visit my Teaching Playlist on my YouTube channel.
To schedule a trial lesson with me, please send a detailed message to amitpeled.assistant@gmail.com.
To learn more about applying to my Peabody studio, click here.