Gloria Parn is a violinist based in Singapore and currently working as a freelance violinist and violin teacher. She currently works as an adjunct lecturer for Viva Voce and Music Appreciation at NAFA School of Young Talents and performs actively with local groups such as the Meraki String Quartet, Vetta String Quartet, re:Sound Collective, Wayfarer Sinfonietta and the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra.
Gloria graduated with a Master of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Music Theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). At CIM, she studied with Ivan Zenaty, Stephen Rose and Philip Setzer, each of them molding her into the all-rounded musician she is today. In Singapore, she studied with Lynette Lim, Yin Ke, and Qian Zhou, and has had the opportunity to have masterclasses with Jonathan Ong, Ilya Konovalov and Siow Lee Chin, all of whom have been big inspirations and influences in her growth as a musician.
Gloria’s love for music started right at the beginning at the age of 3 when she was enrolled in the Yamaha program to learn piano. She started learning the violin at age 7 and joined the Tanjong Katong Girls’ School’s (TKGS) String Ensemble through the Direct School Admission program. Having grown passion for playing in the ensembles, Gloria held membership in the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) for 6 years and went on tour to the 39th Aberdeen International Youth Festival (2011) as well as Young Euro Classics (2012) in Berlin with the orchestra. As a student in the Music Elective Program (MEP), she was selected to be the concertmistress of the MEP Orchestra at age 15. In 2015, she was selected to be the concertmistress for a combined concert where the SNYO and Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra performed together. In TKGS and in Temasek Junior College, Gloria held roles as concert mistress and president in each of the respective string ensembles.
In Cleveland, Gloria performed with the Canton Symphony Orchestra as a substitute violinist and has experience on the Baroque violin through performing at the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival and in the Case Western Baroque Orchestra. She has participated in festivals such as Music Fest Perugia, Texas Music Festival and the National Orchestral Institute. In the summer of 2017, she had the opportunity to perform Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor in Singapore’s Esplanade Recital Hall as a soloist.
Upon graduation in 2020, Gloria worked at The Music Circle for 2 years and gained experience in teaching students of all levels. Her work experience includes conducting music appreciation classes for children 3 to 14 years of age. She has conducted music camps, scales classes, ensemble classes, parent workshops and aided in organizing biannual student concerts for the music school. She was also part of the team of teachers that provided music classes for the children at ARC Children’s Centre. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gloria has gained immense skills in engaging student online and through zoom, building on her previous experiences at CIM. She worked at the Virtual Learning Centre at CIM as a Teaching Artist, assisting in holding interdisciplinary classes for students across states in the United States of America. In addition, she had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for theory classes at the undergraduate level in CIM.
Gloria uses her training in TMC, Suzuki, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and her time with Lynette Lim to guide her current teaching style. Her experience teaching early childhood classes and knowledge in different violin methods helps her to curate an appropriate curriculum for each of her students. In her individual violin lessons, she ensures to include theory and aural activities to keep her students engaged and interested in music as they build their stamina for playing the violin. She also holds regular performance classes and annual concerts for the students in her private studio. Her other hobbies include aerial silks, swimming and cooking.
Violin Lessons with Gloria 