What students say

  • "Dr. Mount is a brilliant teacher. She is a fierce advocate for every one of her students and consistently went above and beyond to find opportunities for me to explore and thrive. I participated in several summer and academic year programs that I would never have known about if not for Dr. Mount. She was excellent at helping me set and achieve both short and long term goals. In my lessons, she was also patient and able to adapt and work creatively when I was not understanding a technique or playing a passage correctly. She was precise in giving feedback and helped me to develop consistency and confidence. I would consider Dr. Mount to be one of my kindest and most caring mentors, not just in my playing but in my life as well."

    — Rohan, Northwestern University, Class of 2025

  • “I studied under Laura Mount from 1985 through 1999 and she remains to this day one of the biggest positive influences and mentors of my life. With Laura’s guidance and support from such a young age, I had the opportunity to play in some of the greatest youth orchestras around, from all-county and all-state groups to camps and festivals and ultimately making the first violin section of the NY Youth Symphony. Laura’s mentorship helped me get into a prestigious university, taught me lessons that extend beyond music, and instilled a life-long love of music and the arts. When my children listen to me perform a Mahler symphony with my local community orchestra, I tell them about my time learning from Laura.”

    — George, Brown University, Class of 2022

  • “Dr. Mount is an amazing teacher. She was my private violin and viola teacher for 9 years. She also recruited me and my brother to Mannes Prep, where our family participated for 15 years. Through her instruction, we received a solid foundation in theory, technique and musicality and developed a true joy and appreciation for music.. Recently, my daughter has joined her weekly scales group class. I have seen her greatly improve during this time through this engaging and challenging class. My daughter looks forward to it every week.”

    — Marina, Columbia University, Class of 2001

  • “I was fortunate enough to study violin and later viola with Laura Mount as a teenager, and into college. She is not only a wonderful musician, but is a fantastic teacher. Laura constantly pushed me further and harder in my studies, helped me prepare for college auditions, and helped me build confidence within myself and my playing. Laura had a wonderful way of knowing which teaching strategy was best for me, which may have been different than another student of hers, because she always did what was best for her students. Now, I am an elementary orchestra teacher at a public school in Westchester county, and always remember and share with my students many strategies Laura taught me to become a better musician. I have been thankful of my time studying violin and viola with Laura, and will always be.””

    — Kelsey, University of Massachusetts, Class of 2017

  • “I was a student of Dr. Mount’s for 8 years, ever since I began learning violin in 5th grade, until I graduated high school. She was integral to my growth as a musician and as a person, instilling a love and appreciation of music while helping develop the discipline and diligence needed to hone my skills. I chose to transition to the viola within a few years because of her and still play chamber music to this day. I also appreciate that she was sensitive to the fact that my family had limited means and a grueling work schedule— she would try to offer lessons at times when we could arrange for a ride, and more importantly, made efforts to alert us to scholarship opportunities that could further our musical education, such as helping us prepare for various regional and state orchestra auditions, NYSSSA, and eventually gaining entrance to, and graduating from, Mannes Prep. Although I did not intend to pursue music as a profession, she still encouraged me to prepare a collection for my college applications, which I have no doubt helped with my admission to a number of Ivy League schools. I am ever grateful for the doors that she has helped open for me.”

    — Crystal, Harvard College, Class of 2005

  • “Dr. Laura Mount played a critical role in my string studies in my formative years. Dr. Mount, whom I studied with privately for 4 years, provided me with the critical foundation of skill and musicianship that I needed in order to study music at the collegiate level. While under her tutelage, Dr. Mount stressed the importance of consistency in technique as well as positive practiced habits; these skills are the same ones that I impart on my own students today. Dr. Mount gave me a clear understanding of the skills and knowledge that I needed to audition for music colleges and conservatories across the country. Her knowledge of the string repertoire was simply unparalleled as she prepared me for auditions. Her guidance eventually led me to attend the Summer Strings chamber music program at NYU under the direction of Professor Stephanie Baer, Northwestern University Pre-College summer music program as well as the New York State Summer School of the Arts at Saratoga. With Dr. Mount’s guidance, I was equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue my BM in viola studies and my MA in music education at New York University. I am forever grateful to have had this experience with her; she would be a valuable asset to any institution!”

    — Abby, NYU, Class of 2012

  • "Dr. Laura Mount is an expert pedagogue and phenomenal musician. Armed with insightful and meaningful advice, Dr. Mount pinpoints problems and provides appropriate directions to each student’s level and goal. Not only are her technical and musical ideas tailored to the student, but her demeanor is designed to reach each student differently. Her energetic and dynamic approach is inspiring to young musicians, helping to bring timid musicians out of their shell while reigning in the wild ones. On the other hand, Dr. Mount’s down-to-Earth, professional attitude fosters mutual respect with teenagers and young adults who appreciate her candor. As the younger brother of a violinist in Dr. Mount’s studio, I was eager to start playing violin at an early age. Through my formative years, Dr. Mount provided me with the musical and technical foundation on which I rely as a musician and teacher today. After studying violin and viola with Dr. Mount for more than 16 years, in which she coached me through countless performances and auditions, I continued on to conservatory and eventually became a music teacher too. I regularly recall specific lessons, exercises, and stories from Dr. Mount to use with my own students and orchestras. I am so grateful for all of the knowledge and tools Dr. Mount has given me over the years. Many of these lessons are tried and tested methods from generations of great violinists, but Dr. Mount breathes new life into the old etudes by relating to the students exact needs and interests, and applying the perfect method in the moment. Dr. Mount’s tutelage goes far beyond violin techniques, as do the needs of any developing musician. When I studied with Dr. Mount, she helped me to grow as an artist and professional by helping me to prepare a resume, organize my applications, make contact with potential teachers, record pre-screening tapes, and more. Some of the most important things I learned from Dr. Mount were not musical ideas but professional skills for academia and beyond. Through changing technology and complicated application processes, Dr. Mount has remained relevant while helping countless students through their high school and college years. Most recently, Dr. Mount has worked with my students at Brooklyn Technical High School in masterclasses, performances, and as a guest conductor. She enthralls the students with her character, and for weeks after her visits, they refer to Dr. Mount’s specific idioms, warm-up ideas, and critiques."

    — Alex, The Julliard School, Class of 2010

  • "Dr. Mount played an integral role in my musical, personal and academic development growing up. I studied with her from the age of thirteen until I went to college. Currently, I am in medical school at an Ivy League institution and I still think back upon, and hold immense gratitude for, the lessons Dr. Mount taught me that helped get me here. I was the first in my family to go to college and Dr. Mount was sensitive to my upbringing and acted as a role model to me in many ways. She instilled in me a love for learning, questioning and thinking critically about the music we perform and the world that listens to it. As such, she not only prepared me to perform well and master the viola, but also to enter college as a diligent, creative and well rounded individual. She has an innate gift as an educator and used it to set me on a path toward a brighter future."

    — Anthony, Brandeis University, Class of 2018 & Brown University, Class of 2023

  • "Laura served as my private teacher from age 6 when I began lessons through the end of my undergraduate program. Laura instructed me in violin and viola and is a strong advocate for my technical and professional development as a musician. Laura encouraged me to apply to programs and camps from an early age. She had an intuitive understanding of which experiences would challenge me to grow as a musician at each stage, from elementary through high school. Thanks to Laura’s instruction and mentorship, I had the opportunity to participate in New York Youth’s chamber and orchestral programs and Boston University’s Tanglewood program. Laura cares deeply about her students and is a passionate supporter of student success."

    — Ruth, Williams College, Class of 2009