Lecture “From Archives to Contemporary Practices: Heritage, Research and Innovation in Violin Pedagogy “

Stéphanie Moraly and Fabre Guin from the Paris Conservatoire will share insights from their teaching and research, followed by an open discussion and exchange on Tue 20.10.2026 at 11.30 am to 13.00 p, (Sibelius Academy, N-building, class N-220)

What does it actually mean to “teach a musical style”? How do we develop a convincing stylistic interpretation without simply reproducing a model? And what can happen when instrumental practice and music theory are brought into dialogue?

Drawing on several years of combined teaching and supervision at the CNSMDP, Stéphanie Moraly and Fabre Guin explore the interactions between instrumental classes and music theory classes, and how these encounters can enrich the way musical style is taught and understood in musical institutions.

Through concrete examples from instrumental lessons, music theory and shared didactics classes, research projects, and collaborative teaching, they focus on practical concepts that lead to further investigation: How can we formulate useful questions about style? How can historical and musicological knowledge inform instrumental choices without becoming a set of rigid rules? How can students’ own musical and cultural backgrounds become resources for interpretation? And how can teachers from different disciplines develop shared ways of discussing stylistic choices?

Three examples will serve as starting points: the French violin school at the founding of the Paris Conservatoire, French music influenced by Orientalism around the turn of the twentieth century, and the teaching of Debussy to students coming from Asian cultural backgrounds. In these three cases, bringing instrumental practice and theoretical reflection together opens up new ways of approaching style and encourages students to develop informed and personal interpretative choices.

The presentation will offer a look at teaching at the Paris CNSMDP and practical ways of connecting instrumental practice and music theory, with the aim of making stylistic knowledge more explicit, open to discussion, and useful.

Project participants 

• Stéphanie MORALY (Conservatoire de Paris)
• Fabre GUIN (Conservatoire de Paris)
• Yvonne FRYE (University of the Arts Helsinki)
• Cecilia OINAS (University of the Arts Helsinki)
• Ram REUVEN (Norwegian Academy of Music)
• Liesbeth ACKERMANS (University of the Arts The Hague)

The lecture is part of IN.TUNE University alliance’s teacher-led projects. IN.TUNE – Innovative Universities in Music & Arts in Europe is a European alliance of eight prestigious universities specialising in music and the arts. Through IN.TUNE, the University of the Arts Helsinki can offer international events, study modules and funding opportunities for both staff and students.