Teachers

From Amsterdam club life to his own summer tour in Spain to the largest Dutch festivals: Sico Vox was there! With his nasty beats and energetic act, he leaves no dance floor unmoved. When Sico is not behind the turntables, he can be found in the studio creating original tracks and remixes that have collected over four million streams across all platforms. His popular remix of ‘Say My Name’ and the original, ‘Ritmo!’, are just a couple examples of releases which are played by international artists such as Diplo, Good Times Ahead, Major Lazer, Kris Kross Amsterdam, FIGHT CLVB, Johnny 500 and Childsplay. Sico’s music is regularly posted on the influential YouTube channels Basshall Movement (800K subscribers) and Xorks TV (650K) as well as on radio stations BBC Radio 1, triple j, Dash, SLAM and FunX. With Sico’s unique mix of Afro House, Moombahton and Urban, he makes every party lover happy.

After completing her studies with Maarten Veeze at the Alkmaar Conservatory, Kim worked as a freelance violinist for several years, specializing in early music. She studied baroque violin and viola with Francois Fernandez and Sophie Gent, and attended masterclasses with Susanne Scholz, Stefano Montanari, and Sigiswald Kuijken. Currently, Kim performs in orchestras and ensembles such as Holland Opera, Barokensemble Eik en Linde, and Ensemble 't Kabinet. In addition to music, Kim works as a psychologist, researching the effects of sound on health. During her violin lessons, Kim always strives to build a strong connection with her students. According to Kim, teaching is having a lot of fun together, exploring which music resonates with you and how you can learn to play that music yourself. Kim started in September 2023 to work for Music School Diemen. She joined our team of teachers on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Kim Schimmel graduated in 2016 graduated from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with a degree in Music Teaching. She has been teaching students for ten years, mostly between the ages of 4 and 12. She says herself: "Conveying my passion for music is wonderful in my profession, but also allowing students to experience how nice and important it is to make music together. Music education goes beyond just making music together, but it also involves listening to each other, working together, discovering new talents and being proud of yourself." Kim is teaching the Preschoolers Musical Adventures, Music Orientation and Instrument Safari courses.

Mariavi Molina (1994 Málaga, Spain) is a pianist described as 'a unique musical personality with a colorful and moving sound'. She started playing the piano when she was 5 years old. She completed her bachelor's degree in classical music in her home town. After that she came to the Netherlands to follow her master's studies with Frank van de Laar. She has won a number of prizes, such as the XI Soloist Competition (2016) organized by the Conservatory of Higher Music Studies of Málaga. XI Málaga Musical Foundation Award for the Best Academic Report from the Conservatory of Higher Musical Studies of Málaga 2017 and she has participated in international music masterclasses. She is committed to making classical music more accessible to the general public. She enjoys drawing, photography and making videos and she likes to combine this with her piano playing to create multidisciplinary projects. Her other passion is teaching. She started private piano lessons when she was 17. The title of her master degree was: “The Teaching Technique. How could the way I teach arm-weight technique, focusing on legato and phrasing, be improved”? She is patient and understanding with her students. She helps them see the good things and use mistakes to keep improving. Learning is easier in a relaxed, supportive and fun atmosphere and she does her best to achieve that. She wants them to be autonomous, so she always encourages self-reflection. She also understands music and art as a holistic experience, which is why she likes to connect theory, history, technology, imagination, emotions and other art forms in her lessons. Mariavi knows the importance of playing and studying naturally and she emphasizes that. This pianist really loves making music together and strives to make sure the  that her students have this opportunity too!

Serge Makarchev is a versatile musician and music teacher. He has his roots in Russia, where he mastered piano, clarinet and saxophone. At the age of twenty he obtained his diploma in classical clarinet. He then graduated in jazz saxophone and jazz piano at the famous Gnessin Institute in Moscow. Serge feels at home in a wide variety of music genres. His passion resides in classical music, and extends to pop and jazz; he is proficient in all these genres. Students will certainly be able to find music to their liking with this experienced teacher. In addition to teaching at Music School Diemen, Serge Makarchev also gives music lessons at the International School of Amsterdam. He also accompanies choirs on piano and organ in the Zaan region and regularly performs as a saxophonist/keyboard player in various bands.

Mkhitar Ghazaryan is a classical pianist and composer. As a graduate in classical piano, he has acquired extensive knowledge and experience in composition, improvisation, ear training, pop, and jazz over the years. He loves teaching and enjoys working with all music enthusiasts: children and adults alike. In his lessons, he develops a personalized teaching approach and intuitively understands what is necessary for advancement. He always aims to treat people at the highest level and assists them with his abilities to ensure their happiness with excellent music and top-notch service. He studied at the Conservatorium of Amsterdam and previously attended the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. During his studies, he was mentored by some of the finest musicians and educators in the Netherlands. In addition to teaching, he is fulfilling his dream of performing all 24 Chopin études at a major concert. We are confident that we will hear much more from Mkhitar, whether through his performances or his students’ achievements.

Els Hermanides is responsible for offering music education at several primary schools within Diemen; at Octopus, Het Atelier, De Kersenboom, and Noorderbreedte, she provides project-based music lessons, and as a ‘Meer Met Muziek’ teacher, she has been the specialist music teacher at the Ark since 2008 throughout the year. In addition to teaching, Els is active as a choir conductor and frequently performs concerts with various ensembles and baroque orchestras. Els Hermanides studied school music at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam (1989-1994) and later studied the traverso with Marten Root, where she obtained her diplomas for teaching and performing musician in 1998. As a graduated school musician, Els is a specialist music teacher at several primary schools, where she conducts the music lessons, choir class, and an instrumental ensemble.

My name is Hugo Zuiker, I graduated as a bass player from the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2020. I am the bassist for la loye and Sam & Julia, among others, I am a serving musician but I always look to see if I can add a new perspective. I try to do this in my bass lines, but also in collaboration. In addition to being a bassist, I am a singer and songwriter in my bedroom project 'De Dicht'. Besides bass guitar, I also teach I also teach electric and acoustic guitar at Music School Diemen.

Within the framework of ‘Meer met Muziek’ for Music School Diemen, Dennis provides music lessons at the Noorderbreedte primary school. He teaches music to all groups, with a strong emphasis on singing. The children’s enthusiasm inspires him to continually elevate their singing quality to higher levels! He began his studies at the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen, where he studied organ with Johan Beeftink and Theo Jellema. He concluded this program with a cum laude final concert. Subsequently, he continued his studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. There, under Jacques van Oortmerssen, he got his ‘Master of Music’ title for organ, as well as diplomas in church music and music education. During his studies, he attended various masterclasses with renowned international musicians. In addition, he pursued lessons in singing and children’s choir direction. Dennis teaches solfège and music theory at the Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor and is a music teacher at a Montessori school in Amsterdam. He performs organ concerts throughout the Netherlands

I am a cellist of Hungarian descent, a descendant from a distinguished family of musicians. I began studying the cello at the age of six and have since dedicated myself to the instrument. Over the years, I have studied with eight different masters and earned my master’s degree from the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg. I have over 15 years of experience as a cello teacher, instructing both children and adults. In addition to teaching, my primary focus is performing in various chamber music settings and world music ensembles. Among others, I play with the Escapada tango piano trio, Ikarai ensemble, Mundus Quartet, and Arifa world music groups. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of performing in all the leading Dutch concert halls and have also played in various countries around the world. My teaching method has matured and crystallized over the years, enabling me to achieve quick and effective results with my students. I manage this without being strict and ensure a relaxed atmosphere during lessons. The key points of my teaching methods are: Developing a musical ear and rhythm Learning to read music Learning to play together Learning to improvise Developing proper cello technique Most importantly, experiencing the joy of playing the cello and discovering the fun of making music. Learning to play a musical instrument also teaches you to express complex personal emotions. Such an experience should be accessible to everyone.