Katerina Papakostaki

My name is Katerina Papakostaki, and I am a Greek, hardworking, and ambitious young cellist. I live in beautiful Utrecht for the last six years and, even if my Dutch is not perfect, I feel the Netherlands as my second home.

I started playing cello when I was six years old, and I immediately fell in love with it. I basically knew already I want to become a professional musician the moment I played my first note! After finishing my music studies in Greece, I decided I want to travel the world and find the perfect place for me to further my studies and involve my cello playing. I traveled, and I found Utrecht to be the place I was looking for! I received my Bachelor’s degree from Utrechts Conservatorium after four years of practicing and meeting new people and music experiences. After my Bachelor’s, I spent a year studying in the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. From this year on, I am planning to go back to my beloved city of Utrecht and continue my Master’s studies in HKU once again. Apart from studying, I play in various avenues around the Netherlands, I am a member in chamber music ensembles, I participate in semi-professional orchestras, and I offer private lessons to anyone who would like to play the cello!

I want to offer cello lessons to my students from the “School of Music.” Through my already existing private lessons, I have gained a sufficient amount of experience when it comes to teaching students of every age and level. Moreover, I feel very confident when it comes to my methodology knowledge and didactic technics I developed through my studying years in HKU. My Bachelor was focused on teaching and academic methods, and my final research was a detailing essay on how to help and approach a pupil who suffers from stage-fright, fear of failure, and similar forms of anxiety.

Through my lessons, a pupil will be able to advance their technique, their understanding, and perception of music and their musicality. All these will be achieved through an individual model designed from every pupil based on their abilities, age, the time they want to spend on personal practicing and level. For me, each pupil must be taken care of at their own pace and based on their own needs and abilities, so the lessons will be as efficient and productive but as much enjoyable and fun as possible.