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Leanne Rabesa
Biography
Leanne Rabesa is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with and was
teaching assistant for George Taylor, and has been teaching in Wellesley since 2002. She is an
avid chamber musician – one might go so far as to say string quartet addict – and has studied
with the Colorado, Ying, Miró and Portland String Quartets, among others.
Her students have won seats in Northeast, Southeast and Eastern District Festival orchestras
(including principal and assistant principal chairs), and participated in ensembles at the New
England Conservatory, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, and Rivers School. She is an
active member of ASTA (American String Teachers Association) and the AVS (American Viola
Society) and probably spends way too much time discussing the qualities of various brands of
strings and shoulder rests, as well as variant readings of major concertos and transcription
discrepancies, with other viola nerds from around the world.
She teaches a modified Suzuki curriculum, with additional attention to note reading, which
requires a parent or caregiver to attend lessons with the student each week in order to better
help them at home. Since the viola gets to be quite a large instrument, there is also a strong
emphasis on stretching, balance and strengthening, in order to equip students with the best
possible foundation for future technique and advancement. Regular group activities, from
classes to recitals to reading parties, help the students get to know each other and form a
community to support each other as they learn.
When not making music, she enjoys reading, writing, running (okay, maybe “enjoy” is not the
right word for that), knitting, and geeking out about a wide variety of topics, from Harry Potter to
Sherlock and much in between – and then bringing it all full circle by arranging the theme music
for viola ensemble. She lives in Boston.