Michelle trained at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music before having a career as an orchestral musician playing with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House for many years, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, amongst many others. Her main teachers were Hannah Roberts and Sue Lowe; she was a regular attendee of international masterclasses studying with cellists Jakob Kullberg, Torleif Thedeen, Gary Hoffman, and Reinhardt Latzko.

Michelle is also a published academic and practicing artist working across sound installation, sculpture, and performance art. Her multidisciplinary approach and inspirations from a range of art disciplines, movement practices, philosophy and learning theories, form a rich reference and support to her methods.

Michelle has been teaching 1 to 1 cello tuition for over 20 years and has lectured and tutored master's students in her capacity as a teaching assistant at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Michelle is an experienced cello tutor with a holistic approach, teaching with a focus on deep listening and naturalness of movement, resulting in playing that feels free and resonant. Students come to learn with her for her specialisation in resolving pain and fatigue, or to learn as a beginner ways of sensing that make playing responsive and satisfying. While learning how to be attentive to sound and cultivate inner expression, technique is always studied in unison with musicality, and not for the aim of mechanical virtuosity -which is a result of a well integrated approach. We work to create attunement between the body and the instrument to allow our expression and creativity to flow out, unforced. This approach takes patience but the process is worth the several years of commitment before independent practice, bringing a beautiful cello sound, beneficial feedback and activity to other parts of life.

Note: students pay by monthly standing order with a minimum commitment of 1 year. It is customary to have one or more consultation lessons to ascertain compatibility. It may be necessary for parents of young students to have a short period of lessons first to support their child's practice.