Virginia Hoff and Joyce Barthelson believed that the joy of music and the skills to perform it should be available to everyone. When these two gifted musicians founded Hoff-Barthelson Music School in 1944, they built a legacy that has touched the lives of many thousands: a warm, friendly music school dedicated to the highest standards of education, performance, and community service. Today, a comm
itment to creativity, collaboration, and community permeates the School. Students of all ages, aptitudes, and levels of interest—from casual learners to students preparing to pursue careers in music, from 6-month-olds in our Early Childhood Programs to recent retirees returning to music making after decades devoted to pursuing careers and raising children—all enjoy these benefits:
A supportive, joyful learning environment. We inspire students to develop their musical and human potential, pursuing their love of music with peers, friends, family members, and teachers. Developing musical skill, understanding, and appreciation goes hand in hand with nurturing valuable learning and life skills. Problem-solving abilities, fine and gross motor skills, self-confidence, peer relationships, focus and organization, teamwork, and much more—all grow stronger when learning and performing music. Our faculty—drawn from the region’s most talented teachers and performers—excel at meeting individual needs, developing artistic and human potential, and inspiring achievement for students of all levels of ability. A multifaceted curriculum. Our comprehensive approach deepens and accelerates musical development through individualized private instruction; classroom instruction in music theory, sight-singing, and music history; regular performance opportunities, including recitals, workshops, performance festivals, and master classes with visiting artists; and ongoing assessment of student progress. Hoff-Barthelson Music School is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County Government with the support of County Executive George Latimer. Programs are made possible, in part, with support from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Hoff-Barthelson also receives funding from the Westchester Community Foundation, Scarsdale Foundation, Friends of Music, and Associated Chamber Music Players.
