“I had the privilege of studying violin with Liz for almost a decade as both a private violin student and in Suzuki teacher training. Throughout our lessons, Liz not only helped me develop technical skills and musicality, but also instilled in me a love of music and a passion for educational excellence that I carry to this day.

Liz is a teacher and mentor of the highest caliber. She leads with kindness and shows incredible dedication to her students at all levels, grounding her teaching in sharing the joy of musical expression. She always tailored our lessons to fit my needs, helping me overcome challenges and incorporating repertoire that I found personally engaging. Her ability to break down complex techniques and approach difficulties from multiple angles consistently pushed me forward.

One of the things I appreciate most about Liz is her commitment to fostering the development of each of her student’s as individuals. In addition to her own skills as a musician, Liz is one of the most skilled educators I have ever met. She is able to meet each student where they are at and works collaboratively with them to continue improving while making sure they have all the tools necessary for success. I was lucky enough to learn from her in Suzuki teacher training and strive to treat my students with the same respect and care as she did for me.

Looking back, my time with Liz has not only shaped me as a violinist but also as a student, educator, and human. Liz inspires me to strive for excellence while always centering passion and compassion. I am deeply grateful for her mentorship and the impact she has had on my musical and personal journey. I would highly recommend Liz to anyone seeking to learn the violin.”

— Savannah Watson
BA Music, USC Thornton School of Music (2024)

"Liz Arbus is a fantastic violin and viola teacher. She instructed our boys from kindergarten through high school. She was a very important part of our lives for all those years. So much so that when it was time for the boys to move on, they had a hard time because they could not imagine a world in which they would not see Liz on a weekly (often times more) basis. One son clearly loved the violin and the challenge of learning new pieces. Liz recognized that and nurtured his interest and talent all those years. The other son was not so enamored with the work that came along with learning first the violin and then the viola but Liz managed to keep him interested and engaged for thirteen years. Liz can read a student’s interest-level and teach to it. She’s always positive, encouraging, and student centered.

In a nutshell, Liz is dedicated to her craft, loves teaching, is continually learning new and interesting ways of teaching the Suzuki method, and continues to perform herself. We have, and will continue to, recommend her as a top-notch violin and viola instructor."

— The Salazar Family

“My first son began studying violin with Liz over 14 years ago. From the beginning, she created a special relationship between teacher and student. Lessons were fun and thoughtful with mini-wins building on each other in every lesson. She kept my son growing and developing his musical ability at his pace. What I truly appreciate about Liz’s teaching style is that she sees each student’s unique personality and guides them with precision to be their best musical self. Liz’s unwavering support and belief in each of her students sets her apart. She has instilled not only a love of music in my children, but also a level of confidence and determination that has led them to succeed both musically and academically. Having recitals throughout the year helped prepare my sons to perform in front of an audience at a very early age. Now that my sons are teenagers, they love collaborating with Liz in finding new music to play. She has introduced them to all different time periods and now they have their favorites!”

— Parent, Jennifer Madden

“Liz's love for music and music education is very evident in the devotion she pours into teaching each of her violin students. Every lesson is filled with attention to the students' technique and musicality. She has beautifully creative ways to help students understand or remember techniques and appreciate the musical piece they are playing. She magically challenges students to excel in violin with rigorous instruction and discipline while simultaneously encouraging each student wherever they are in their level and quality of playing. Liz is a wonderful teacher with many years of experience and an effervescent passion for violin that she spreads to each of her students and student families. She creates imaginative and fun opportunities to perform music in groups and share their appreciation of music together. We are so grateful to Liz for her compassionate and energetic style of educating her students and teaching us so much about violin and music!"

— The Won Family ~ Joshua, Jonathan, Alex, and Debbie

“Liz Arbus has been with our family for almost 20 years; first with group lessons, then later as a solo teacher. She has proven to be not only be highly knowledgeable in the methods and techniques of music instruction, but also a compassionate and skillful teacher. She has made it fun for us to learn to love playing our instruments. Liz has completely dedicated her life to music and is consistently learning and broadening her knowledge. We are truly fortunate to have her as our teacher.”

— Cheryl, Parent

“Ms. Liz is an incredibly patient and amazing teacher. I am grateful that she always encourages me with solutions rather than judgment.

"I ❤️ Ms. Liz!"

— Amelia Wu (Current student)

“Ms. Liz is an amazing teacher! She is always supporting and challenging me. I love that she is dedicated to making the world a better place by creating beautiful music.”

— Vivienne Wu (Current student)

“I could not ask for a more thoughtful and patient teacher than Ms. Liz. She has taught both of my girls (who have very different temperaments) effectively and with great care since they started playing violin at the age of 5 (now ages 11 and 13). She maneuvers through lessons efficiently and she is able to pivot when necessary to help her students understand new concepts. I appreciate her high standards for technique and dedication to making beautiful music. She is always looking for fun performance opportunities and collaborations for her students. We are so grateful to have her positive influence in our lives.”

— Patty Wu (Mother of current students)

“Our daughter, Ruby, began lessons with Liz when she was 3 years old. As I write this, Ruby begins college at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2 weeks. Liz Arbus deserves a great deal of credit for Ruby’s successes - not just at music, but at discipline.

I largely credit Liz with teaching my daughter how to do hard things. Playing the violin well is such a difficult skill to do at all, much less master, and children can be easily frustrated by work.

Through every stage of Ruby’s development, Liz understood Ruby’s thought process and motivation. She consistently adjusted her approach to keep her moving through material. From age 3 to age 16, Liz probably taught 10 different kinds of students in Ruby as she grew up. She seemed to always know what Ruby needed and always met here where she was.

Liz is a fine violinist and she is a masterful instructor. I have not seen her equal in teaching anywhere - not in schools, not in sports, not in the arts. It is rare to come across an instructor in any discipline that reads people and what motivates them so well. Liz Arbus is a treasure. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

— Jett Whitworth, parent of two daughters

“Liz always met me where I was at.  If I had trouble with something, she walked me through a ton of exercises until we found the one that helped me improve my technique.  Liz is an amazing teacher because she adjusts to each student’s needs.  I was a student for almost 10 years, and at each recital, every student had improved since the previous on.  Liz is patient, kind, and great at what she does.”

– Roxie, student