Claudio Forcada

 

 

Dr. Claudio Forcada was born in Spain, and holds a PhD from Birmingham City University on a thesis on efficacy in violin teaching. He is also fully qualified Suzuki teacher by ESA (European Suzuki Association), has completed trainings on the “New Approach” with Kato Havas in Oxford (UK), on Rolland’s pedagogy with Nancy Kredel, Lynne Denig and Mary Rich among others in Hamburg (Germany) and Virginia (USA), and has undertaken trainings on violin pedagogy with Mimi Zweig at Indiana University (USA).

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From 1993 to 2006 he taught the violin, chamber music and orchestra at Conservatoires and music schools in Spain. In 2001, he was selected by the Galician Government to elaborate the syllabus of the highest musical degree.

From 2000 to 2003 he was the director of the “Summer Music School of Oleiros” (Galicia County, Spain). From 2000 to 2004, Claudio was the director of the “Seminar on Violin Pedagogy. Caixa Galicia” and, from 2004 to 2006 Artistic director of “The Edartmus International Summer Music School”.

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From 2000 to 2004 he was the head teacher at the music school in Oleiros (La Coruña, Spain) and in 2005 he was appointed deputy head at the “Conservatorio Superior” (College of Music) also in La Coruña.

From 1988 he has played in several professional groups, such as: ‘Orquesta Ciudad de Córdoba’, ‘Orquesta Joaquín Turina’, ‘Orquesta de Cámara Gallega’, ‘Phantasy Quartet’, ‘Spanish Quartet’, ‘Tactum Ensemble’ and ‘Altissimo Ensemble’ (whose presentation at the Royal Festival Hall in 2009 followed the release of the CD ‘San Gejtanu’ with works by Ian Stewart).

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Since 2007 Claudio is settled in London and he regularly gives and organizes lectures and teacher trainings on violin pedagogy and instrumental teaching as well as workshops for children at universities, conservatoires and music schools in Iceland, Japan, Germany, Austria, El Salvador, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, Scotland, Wales and England (Institute of Education –London-, Birmingham City 

University –UK-, Alcala de Henares University –Madrid-, ‘Escuela Superior de Musica de Catalunya’ –Barcelona-, Universidad Don Bosco -El Salvador-, Reijoku University -Kyoto, Japan- and Bangor University –Wales-, among others).

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In 2009, he was appointed consultant at VIU (Valencian International University, Spain), where he teaches string pedagogy, music education and research. He has also published three handbooks on the abovementioned subjects and filmed six documentaries on String pedagogy, music education and music psychology.

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In 2012, Claudio was awarded with the “Ernest Newman Price” at the Birmingham City University, for a lecture on “Motor Learning and Violin Teaching”. In 2013, Claudio was teaching violin and string pedagogy at a program organised by ‘Universidad Don Bosco’ and the ‘Edytra Fundation’ in El Salvador, and he was honoured with a recognition from the president at the Legislative Assembly in El Salvador for his contribution to the musical education of the country. This recognition took place at the legislative assembly where Claudio performed at a concert broadcasted to the whole country. In October 2013 Claudio gave a lecture at the prestigious “International Webinar for Professional Development in the Arts” broadcasted to universities from USA, Canada, Mexico, UK and Cyprus, such as University of Cambridge, Chihuahua University, Benedictine University and the Institute of Education in London, among others. In 2015, Claudio has given a lecture on “Good violin teaching: Psychologial aspects related to the acquisition of motor skills” at the International Symposium on Performance Science in Kyoto (Japan).

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At present, and besides his responsibilities at the Valencian International University, Claudio is the director of the ‘Scherzo workshop’ and the ‘Seminar for String Teachers’ (both in London), ‘Music in Progress’ (a workshop for string teachers and students in France) and leads his own string project in North London.

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