Ibolya Mikajlo

Australian violinist Lyndall Hendrickson (1917-2017)…

was a child prodigy, war time performer, and teacher of highly skilled violinists. In the 1930s, Ludwig Schwab expanded Hendrickson’s learning of skills in teaching her Otakar Sevcik’s violin exercises. As a teacher, Hendrickson evolved from Sevcik’s and Schwab’s teachings, through a multitude of individualized exercises, written for her students between c.1968 to 2010. In her teaching diverse and broad range of pedagogical violin teaching techniques, using psychological theories, scientific and educational research to tailor exercises to her students physical and sensory needs. Further knowledge learned whilst in recovery and rehabilitation from polio, led her to investigate how skills might be internalised and transmitted from sensory receptors to the centralnervous system. Hendrickson’s objectives in writing exercises, was for students to develop positive transfers in their processing of skills. This session explores Hendricksonâ’s new and insightful ways to link the learning of elementary exercises with advanced techniques. Also shown are selected samples from a student’s file, including excerpts of their drills for the study of the first movement of Violin Concerto in E minor by Felix Mendelssohn.

About Ibolya Mikajlo

Ibolya (Ibby) Mikajlo is currently a Doctor of Philosophy student at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia, specialising in the work of Lyndall Hendrickson. Ibby completed her
Master of Music Thesis The influence of the scale of C on elementary violin instruction with supervisors Lyndall Hendrickson and Warren Bourne. She premiered the first public performances of Malcom
Fox’s Six Miniatures (violin and piano) for the Australian Association for Dance Education. Ibby performed violin and viola with the Sydney String Quartet, Metropolitan State Youth Orchestra, State Opera Orchestra of South Australia, Victorian Opera Company, Sydney Opera House Trust Orchestra, New Holland Baroque Ensemble, et al. She conducted the Chamber Strings for the Sydney Youth Orchestra Association, and was Head of Strings at Ascham School, Sydney, and Scotch College in Perth. In 2022, Ibby presented her research on Lyndall Hendrickson at the Inaugural Australian National Violin Conference, Australian Strings Association National Conference, and the International Society of Music Education Conference. She currently works as a Senior Teacher for the Instrumental Music
School Services in Western Australia. Her article on Hendrickson’s learner-centred approaches has recently been published via the International Journal of Didactical Studies https://doi.org/10.33902/ijods.202424272