About Elvira van Groningen
Elvira is a Dutch violinist and Timani teacher, combining an international performance career with her work in musicians’ health. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler', Berlin, and recently graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music in London, obtaining an MSc in Performance Science.
After facing challenges with focal dystonia, her wish is to help other musicians prevent and recover from injuries and reach their full potential. To this end, she has undertaken a training course with musicians' coach Pete Josephs in Berlin and completed a three-year course at the Musicians' Health and Movement Institute in Oslo, Norway, learning to teach Timani, a somatic method for musicians that focuses on the connection between the body and making music. Moreover, she recently founded the online community Recompose together with British soprano Kitty Bazalgette. Recompose addresses the gap between performance science and practice by sharing valuable knowledge and resources. The aim is to educate and empower musicians to think critically and make informed choices to optimise wellbeing and musical performance.
In recent years, after a three-year break from performing due to focal dystonia, Elvira has been an Associate Member and still performs regularly with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. She also plays with other ensembles including the Aurora Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. (For full performance bio, see below.)
She is passionate about teaching and has held teaching positions at both the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler' and the CPE Bach Gymnasium in Berlin. Alongside her playing and teaching commitments, Elvira has also worked as international coordinator of Musethica, an education method for young talented musicians with social impact that is active in ten countries.
She currently lives in Edinburgh, where she enjoys walking on the beach, cooking and reading.
Elvira’s MSc in Performance Science was generously supported by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and Hendrik Mullerfonds from the Netherlands.
Ⓒ Anjula Schaub
Ⓒ Chynna Guyat
Performance biography
Born in the Netherlands, Elvira van Groningen studied at the conservatories of Zwolle and Amsterdam, before moving to Berlin to study with Prof. Stephan Picard at the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler', where she received her Bachelor’s degree in 2017. Elvira has won several prizes in national and international competitions, including First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Prinses Christina Concours in the Hague and Second Prize at the International Queen Sophie Charlotte Competition for Violin in Germany.
As a passionate chamber musician, Elvira has performed with musicians such as Colin Carr, Jens Peter Maintz, Pascal Devoyon and Alexander Lonquich. She has participated in many chamber music programmes, including the Seiji Ozawa International Academy, and held a scholarship from the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz Foundation. She has also appeared as a soloist with different orchestras including the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot.
After facing challenges with focal dystonia, Elvira has undertaken therapy at the Institut de Fisiologia i Medicina de l’Art in Terrassa, Spain, a pioneering centre in medical attention for musicians and other stage artists. After a three-year break from performing, Elvira continued her career as an Associate Member and regular extra player of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and has also worked with other ensembles including the Aurora Orchestra, Camerata Bern and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Elvira has received generous financial support from the Deutsche Orchesterstiftung as well as the Deutsche Musikrat (NEUSTART KULTUR).