Teaching philosophy

It is not that most students are unmusical, but merely their technique or lack thereof significantly impairs their ability to proficiently project their musical ideas. Once certain technical skills are mastered, the playing speaks for itself more eloquently.

Sarita is on the Applied faculty of Tufts University and teaches on the Emerson Program at MIT. Ms. Uranovsky also maintains a private studio. She has been on the faculty of the Saarburg International Music Festival, Interharmony Music Festival and Vianden International Music Festival.

Student Quotes

Sarita doesn't just teach violin technique, she teaches how to communicate musical phrases through the instrument, and how to translate complex musical ideas into the precise motions of fingers, arms, and body. Through my years of study with her, she progressively unlocked my potential and enabled me to grow tremendously, both as a violinist and as a musician.

-Ari Umans - MIT Emerson/Harris Scholar

Sarita is a wonderful violinist and exceptional teacher. Her detailed thought process as she approaches her own practice helps her to articulate concepts to her students with both essential technique building and musical expression. High expectations, concise explanations, and helpful demonstrations during lessons help to guide Sarita's students to improve quickly. During my undergraduate work at Boston University, Sarita worked with me to move quickly through various technique books, which greatly improved my technical abilities and overall playing.

-Angie (Millner) Dombrowski, Violinist - Central City Opera & Opera Colorado Orchestras

Sarita was a valuable part of my undergraduate development. Her emphasis on strong fundamental technique and effective practice strategy enabled me to make swift progress. She helped lay the groundwork for me to become an efficient and elastic performer.

-Elise Blake - Iris Orchestra, Wolf Trap Opera Orchestra

Sarita shows unparalleled dedication to her students through her lessons, coaching and masterclasses. – Malorie Blake Shin – National Symphony Orchestra

“perceptive analysis and pragmatic solutions”

Sarita is my go-to advisor when preparing for an audition, solo performance, or taking on an ambitious project. Her perceptive analysis and pragmatic solutions are invaluable for making progress through challenging repertoire. I know I can trust her observations to be astute, and her troubleshooting expertise right on target.

-Amy Sims - Assistant Concertmaster Portland Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic

“play without tension-related pain”

When I arrived in Boston for college, my first lesson was with renowned teacher Bayla Keyes, who told me that since I was going to Tufts, I should study with Sarita Uranovsky, whom she described as an *extremely* talented teacher and compelling musician.  That was some of the best advice I’ve ever received—over the four years I studied with Sarita, she managed to methodically eradicate bad habits I’d developed over thousands of hours; enable me to play without tension-related pain; and most importantly, to develop in me a more intentional and mature artistry.  One piece of concrete evidence of Sarita’s skill as a teacher is that in my final year at Tufts, I won first prize in the annual, university-wide music competition.  That is her success as much as my own.  I learned so much in our fun and engaging lessons, and wish I could’ve spent many more years under Sarita’s tutelage!  

-Adham Azab, Ph.D – Columbia University

“brings […] her own learning and engagement”

Ms. Uranovsky is not a violinist who teaches as a side job. Her performance aspirations are supported by her teaching, not for financial reasons, but for artistic ones. It means that she brings to the teaching process her own learning and engagement in progressing as a musician, performer, and teacher. Teaching is an integral part of her balanced approach to music.

— Jane Mooney 

”surgically corrected problems […] and found creative ways to get me to think about […] phrasing”

I always struggled with tension that inhibited my technical progress and distracted me from engaging deeply with the music I was performing. Sarita fixed my setup, coached me on how to release tension, surgically corrected problems with my technique, and found creative ways to get me to think about expressivity, phrasing, and musicality. With her guidance, I built a fifteen-year tenure with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and played the best recitals of my career. Never, in my 35 years of violin playing, have I made as much progress, played with as much consistency, and enjoyed making music as I did when I was studying with Sarita.

-Matthew Heck - Director of the Conservatory Program and The Rivers School

I took lessons with Sarita while I was an undergraduate in Bayla Keyes' studio at BU and since then I often play for her when I am preparing for auditions.  She is a dedicated, creative, and insightful teacher.  She is not only a great musician who is able to help a student get their musical ideas across, but she is also very analytical when evaluating a student to identify what they might need to improve their playing.  She has great body awareness and is able to communicate it in a way that is incredibly helpful to students that struggle with tension.  She is creative in her approach to each student and is able to change the way she explains things in case a student doesn't understand the first time. Sarita not only teaches a student how to play the violin, but one of her best gifts is that she also teaches a student how to practice, which is a skill many players lack.  Her practice ideas not only helped me improve in those specific situations but have helped me become very efficient in preparing repertoire weekly for my professional career.  

-Tera Gorsett Keck - Rhode Island Philharmonic, Boston Lyric Opera

In the 6 years I studied with Sarita, she observed my playing and my approach to music, then offered suggestions and demonstrated how technically things can be accomplished. She was knowledgeable and mindful of personal preferences and offered multiple options to try out. She continuously studied what I was capable of implementing, and where I struggled, then tailored the solutions to me. Iteratively I made progress in my tone, intonation, rhythm, and musicality. She is also a cheerleader and an amazing coach. I apply what she taught me every day technically, and I pay attention to what I'm communicating musically while analyzing the theme of the music and the role of each section. Since I moved to the west coast, I continue to play in community orchestras, and I follow Sarita's helpful tips on practicing passages. I continue to work on bow contact and distribution, and I have the confidence to experiment myself and see what works and mentor other musicians. I'm grateful for what Sarita taught me and for being such an important person in my life. 

-Charles Lin

I really appreciate how patient and meticulous Sarita has been in "fixing" any small issue she sees with my technique -- and how she can come up with the correct exercises to just focus on those. She's also taught me a lot about how to practice effectively -- and I see this in my ability to learn new pieces today. She's also so much fun to learn from and be around!!

-Deepti Rhagavan