About Therèse Ahlers
Therèse Ahlers teaching the cello
Therèse Ahlers has been teaching cello since 1977. After completing a 4-year B-Mus in 1981 in South Africa, she continued her studies at the Sweelinck Conservatoire and lived in Amsterdam, Holland for seven years. During this time she taught cello privately and in various music schools. In 1984 she founded the Nederlands Jeugd Strijk Orkest (NJSO – Dutch Youth String Orchestra),which has since become a corner stone of Dutch youth music of international acclaim.
The following teachers have had a great influence on Therèse: Betty Pack, Marçal Cervera, Sean Kierman, Jack de Wet, Harro Ruijsenaars, Antoni Ros-Marbà and Dorothy Jones.
In 1988 she returned to South Africa and continued teaching and playing in various orchestras and ensembles.
Therèse Ahlers teaching a Tiny Twinklers baby class
In 1995 Therèse immigrated to New Zealand and settled in the Bay of Plenty. She joined the New Zealand Suzuki Institute in 2000 and established a cello class in Tauranga.
She has also been active in tutoring cello groups and chamber music ensembles. She founded the Tauranga Youth String Orchestra, for which she received the Trustpower Community Service Arts award in 2006. She has been invited to give string workshops at schools in the wider BoP region.
Therèse completed her level 4 Suzuki cello teacher training (in New Zealand) and level 1 Suzuki ECE Music Teacher Training certificate (in Minneapolis, MN) in 2008.
Therèse is a member of the following institutes: Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand, NZ Suzuki Institute, Suzuki Association of the Americas and Koningklijk Nederlands Toonkunstvereniging (life member).