“I have performed with Shem Guibbory for over 15 years, watched him coach ensembles, lead seminars, and deliver lectures and masterclasses. I have witnessed first-hand his ability to inspire students and colleagues with his artistry, passion for music, and vast musical knowledge. He has a remarkable gift for encouraging musicians at all stages, from young students to adult amateurs to professional musicians.”

Shem is a truly inspirational teacher: his empathy, creativity, and passion for music is contagious and you leave class feeling inspired and energised.   Beyond helping me improve as a violin player, he made me a better musician by teaching me how to listen.   He had a long-term plan for my musical growth that focused not only on my technical skills but on the relationship I should have with the instrument and music for the rest of my life.  Shem is more than an excellent violin teacher, he is an educator who taught me an approach to practice and skills that apply to any endeavor I undertake.    

Shem teaches lessons that go beyond performance and mastery of the violin. He teaches you how to connect and engage with the music you play, your instrument, your orchestra, and the world around you. As his student, you carry those lessons with you beyond your musical pursuits, in all aspects of your life. There’s no doubt he helps you achieve artistically and musically, but more importantly, he has become a mentor of mine beyond my violin world. 

Shem Guibbory’s artistic achievements do not require introduction. He is well known to a wide range of audiences and much loved and respected by his musician colleagues.  I would like to give credit to Mr. Guibbory’s pedagogical skills and his unique ability to help a performer deepen their musical understanding. His insightful and inspirational method is a great tool for anyone who seeks to refine their performance skills. I highly recommend Shem Guibbory’s method to students and professionals alike who seek to strengthen their awareness and connection to the essence of the music performed as well as to those who are seeking to break through their practice routines and acquire a better understanding of the performance psychology.   

Shem is a truly phenomenal teacher who greatly refined and enhanced my violin playing. His instruction and innovative teaching style took my strengths as a violinist and improved them, along with filling in important gaps in my toolkit as a musician in ways that I never even considered possible. Additionally, Shem has taught me the knowledge and discipline I need to elevate my level of technique and musicianship going into the future.

I have worked with Shem Guibbory several times in chamber music performance and have had the good fortune to collaborate on some musical coaching projects as well.  He is able to look beyond and in-depth several layers into both the music and the player.   With a unique vocabulary and thoughtful imagery he is able to communicate to fellow musicians and students effective ways to discover their own ability to convey every expressive and artistic ambition of their performance.

Your masterclass was incredible.   To be able to work so well with these young students, bringing out their best in such a short time, is a testament to your musical and communication skills, not to mention experience.   Their parents & teachers were duly impressed and very grateful for all that you accomplished during that hour…Everyone there could hear that the sounds they produced at the end were on a higher level than those they started with, and they played with much more confidence.

“A sensitive, demanding, challenging, constructive coach.” 

Shem Guibbory is a phenomenal artist who is fully committed to helping others achieve their full expressive and creative potentials. As a coach, Shem is highly discerning and perceptive. He zeros in on exactly what would be best for your artistic development. He really nails it. He never just tells you what needs improvement; he always draws upon his vast store of musical and creative resources to come up with brilliant solutions. In my case, the solutions he suggested have taken me farther artistically than I almost thought possible, and have done this in a very short period of time.