Musicianship
Musicianship is a vital partner to instrumental tuition in attaining a deep and rounded understanding of music; it's a more 'grown-up' form of our music kindergarten and teaches music theory in a practical and enjoyable way, including using many games in the earlier years. It typically leads to a theory exam at Grade 5: although this isn't required, that level represents a minimum body of knowledge that all musicians should learn in any case and that they will need for higher instrumental exams (Grade 6+). Learn more about our Musicianship teachers below!
Agnes Tatar (Head of Muscianship)
Agnes Tatar
Head of Musicianship
Singing has always been a big part of Agnes's life. Although she studied choir-leading in College in Budapest, she felt that being part of a choir just suited her much more than conducting one. Currently, she sings as a Soprano with Londinium Voices and the Elysian Singers.
Apart from managing the Musicianship Department at NLC, she also works for Trinity College London. In her free time, Agnes enjoys attending classical concerts and rock gigs. She owns a canal boat, so one day you might spot her chugging along the Regent’s Canal…
Ana-Elisabeta Popescu-Deutsch
Ana Popescu Deutsch was born in Satu Mare- Romania, and started singing before she could talk properly. Whilst on her way to a concert with a family friend aged 5 and a half, she was humming a tune in the car. Little did she know that by the end of the evening, Ana would become the pupil of Olivia Papa, her first violin teacher and passenger in the front seat that night.
Olivia’s lessons were made up of a healthy balance between playing the violin and petting one of her numerous cats.
She furthered her studies at the George Enescu Music High School in Bucharest, and in 2002 met her future mentor Alecu Leseanu. He regarded the human voice as the epitome of musicality which lined up with Ana’s childhood passion.
Whilst accumulating prizes at national and international competitions, Ana sang in two children choirs, recording 6 CDs with the “Bim Bam”.
In 2010, she became part of the European Union Youth Orchestra, touring both Europe and America and sharing music on stages such as the Konzerthaus, Berlin and New York’s Carnegie Hall alongside renowned musicians Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman to name a few. Meeting people from all around Europe also inspired Ana to study abroad.
From 2011-2017 she got a place at the Royal Academy of Music completing both her undergraduate and master's degrees. Her love of ensemble playing drew her to apply for the Southbank Sinfonia, receiving a one-year fellowship and making invaluable friendships on the way.
Sharing the wonderful gift of music has always been at the core of her being, and becoming part of the Colourstrings family has been one of the happiest moments of her career. The passion and dedication of all the teaching staff have created a tight knit community, where each member inspires the other, growing simultaneously with their pupils. Who could ask for more?
Daniela Sangiorgio
Daniela is Italian, born in Milan but both her parents are from Sicily, in southern Italy. She came to London in her early twenties (1990) to study English and, like many Italians, decided to stay!
Daniela joined The North London Conservatoire in 2008 after having been awarded the qualifications of Colourstrings Associate Teacher (Music Kindergarten) and the Professional Practice Certificate in Early Childhood Music (Kodály). She has also achieved the Advanced Kodály Certificate. She taught Music Kindergarten for ten years and has been teaching musicianship for fifteen.
In the last five years, Daniela has developed an interest in holistic disciplines. Among other things, she is now an Alexander Technique teacher and often gives lectures and practical sessions for the young musicians at the NLC’s Saturday Flying School.
Daniela has three children in their early twenties who play violin, piano and double bass, two of whom were students at the NLC. She plays the flute, loves dancing, going to the gym and having friends and family around.
Diana Torti
Diana is an Italian singer of jazz/contemporary music. Her passion for singing started as a child and over time, she developed experience in mainly jazz, medieval music and Italian bel canto.
She graduated in Jazz Music at the Music Conservatory of Frosinone, Italy and has extensive performing experience including concerts, recordings and international festivals in England, France, the Czech Republic and Italy. As a vocalist, she has collaborated with many outstanding composers such as M° Ennio Morricone and M° Luca Francesconi.
Her unique duo with guitarist Sabino de Bari bases its work on original compositions, jazz standards and improvisation (a musical aspect she enjoys the most). They have been recording albums and performing since 2006.
Diana’s skills as a high-level singing teacher combine with her professional training as a psychologist to enable her help and encourage her students to realize their creative potential. She has been exploring the relationship between voice and identity and since 2020 she has been working in the field of "Performer Psychology".
Diana moved to England in 2015, joining The North London Conservatoire in September 2016, teaching Musicianship. She has a passion for tasty food and likes to cook very special dishes to enjoy with her friends.
Gosia Kuznicki
Violin & Musicianship Teaching, Concert Management, Orchestra Tours, and External Events
Gosia Kuznicki was born in the UK to Polish parents and has travelled all around the world as an educator in search of the best Kodály methodology specialists and Colourstrings practice to expand her as a musician and teacher. She is a Violin, Viola and Kodály musicianship teacher as well as a chamber music and orchestral coach at the North London Conservatoire.
Having specialised in the Kodály method, she has taught at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and is involved in other organisations that aim to help musicians, some alongside Viktoria Grigorieva and striving to bring music to as many young people as possible. This includes being invited to teach on the Jersey International Masterclasses and Pro Corda Chamber Music courses.
Gosia is a leader of several chamber groups and symphony orchestras in London. She has played and broadcast in the UK and has recorded for several artists, including a CD ‘Celebrating Jon Lord: Live at the Royal Albert Hall’.
In her spare time she has learnt how to surf on the waves of Saunton Sands in North Devon with her partner Craig Jarvis, who also teaches at the North London Conservatoire. As an avid fan of Kundalini yoga, she frequently attends yoga retreats in sunnier plains!
Hannah Blumsohn
Hannah Blumsohn grew up in Sheffield and studied modern and Baroque oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
She plays with various ensembles around the UK, including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, Florilegium and the London Film Music Orchestra. In 2022 she went on tour to Bolivia playing Baroque music alongside Bolivian musicians. Her Baroque chamber group, Bellot Ensemble, is a Brighton Early Music-featured Young Artists Ensemble for 2023-2024.
Hannah joined The North London Conservatoire in 2019 and has worked in both the Kindergarten and Musicianship Departments. She also teaches oboe, music theory and Kodály musicianship/kindergarten in other schools and privately. She has worked as a mentor for the National Children's' Orchestra and has run workshops for the British Double Reed Society. She is currently a musician for the Wigmore Hall “Chamber Tots” concerts.
In her spare time, Hannah enjoys tap dancing and knitting (her NLC classes get to see her knitted animals, which match the Colourstrings songs!)
Taryn Surratt
Taryn Surratt is a high-mezzo from Houston, Texas. She comes from a family of choir directors and found her love of opera early on after watching a production of Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the age of 10.
She grew up singing in choirs, playing French Horn and the mellophone for the school band, struggling her way through piano and playing every sport she could. She received her Bachelors in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University, where she also ran for the school's track and cross country team at the D1 level, specialising in Steeple Chase.
Taryn moved to London to get her Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music and now freelances as a singer and teacher in the London area. She has a special interest in contemporary opera as both an artist and poet/librettist.
Taryn currently plays baseball for the London Mayhem and is learning to pitch. She also speaks German like a kindergartener and has a poetry book in the works.
Theo Vinden
Theo Vinden is a professional conductor and cellist, currently conductor of the Keele University Orchestra and Assistant Conducting Professor at the London Performing Academy of Music. Formerly, he was Conducting Fellow of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra in Texas and interim Director of Orchestra at the University of Texas Permian Basin, while completing his doctorate at Texas Tech University.
Prior to going to the U.S., he was Director of the Chamber Choir at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy, Hungary and completed his Masters Degree in Kodály Pedagogy and Choral Conducting. This followed his conducting studies in Russia (St. Petersburg Conservatory) and the U.K. (Royal Northern College of Music/Manchester University ‘Joint Course’ with cello).
As a cellist, Theo has appeared as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and freelanced with professional orchestras in the U.K. and U.S., including Opera North, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.
Zsuzanna Szanyi
Zsuzsanna (Zsuzsi) Szanyi is from Hungary. She started her musical studies in Kecskemet, Zoltan Kodály's birth place.
Later on Zsuzsi sang in choirs, which helped find her way and she decided to pursue a musical career. She first studied Choral Conducting in Debrecen in Hungary and after university continued her studies in Amsterdam where she coached two amateur choirs weekly.
In 2014, Zsuzsi moved to London and since then has been teaching Musicianship and Choir at The North London Conservatoire, among other things.
Besides music, painting is her other passion where she can express her artistic view in a different way. Zsuzsi has a one-year-old son, who loves singing, too.