Con Fuoco Music School
consist of private music instructors Chari Peno (piano, guitar, bass) and Lidija Peno (violin) who are based in Belmont, MA. Lessons take place at their studio on Marion Rd., Belmont, MA. Chari Peno also teaches about a dozen students in Concord, MA, Sudbury, MA, Quincy, MA and Acton, MA to whose homes he travels every week.
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MISSION/TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Relying on their long experience as performing musicians and instructors Chari and Lidija Peno are dedicated to helping kids and adults alike discover the wonderful world of music through competent guidance and inspiration.
WE BELIEVE IN....from a personal letter by Chari on working with children:
"While professional competence is obviously a condition for teaching, I believe personal approach is just as important with kids. I like to see that my students like me personally but then also take my authority seriously. This is necessary so that there's success and satisfaction. I am very strict about week to week practice assignments and very particular as to what I expect to be done for homework. I believe in continuity. I believe in honest communication with the kid.
I've settled for Alfred's beginner's piano method, as I find that the introduction of new material is very well graduated, every next piece building on the previous and with timely revision of older subjects. The music is also quite exciting and insp irational for kids.
I was mostly brought up in the "old German" tradition, which by itself is quite rigid. Fortunately my interest/education in jazz (totally different from classical) has widened my views on how we perceive/learn music. In a nutshell, the classical tradition focuses too much on the formal stuff, rules, etc. and that can become pretty dry (not that these thing are unimportant). In addition to this I try to take advantage of the natural sense for music that allmost all kids have - their natural responsiveness to rthythms and their peference and ability to learn things by sheer imitation. Based on that I introduce some jazz songs and improvisation at some point without the use of sheet music. It is amazing how fast kids learn this way - their hearts, eyes and ears are still wide open and they love devouring music.
All said, different kids learn very differently, so I listen to them and try to follow their lead. Then I know best how to handle each one, whether to be more or less strict or how much assignment is too much, etc."
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NEWS
- Great news indeed - after working very hard for a little more than two years, one of my guitar students, Zachary Bernstein got accepted to Berklee College of Music as a jazz guitar performance major. Not only did Zach make it in, he was also awarded a generous merit-based scholarship, a very rare sign of recognition especially for guitarists. At age 17 Zach already plays professionally in local bands. Good luck, Zach, you might very well have an amazing professional cereer ahead of you.
- Another student if mine, Meyer Brown got accpted into the musicology program at UMASS -Amherst. Boy, he had to endure 3 to 5 hour lessons, and not once. Congratulations! All the sweting did pay of.
RATES
$30 - 30 minutes
$45 - 45 minutes
The length of lessons depends on the students age and their ability to concentrate and stay focused.
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POLICIES
Payments - usually on a per lesson basis, check or cash.
Cancellations - a single but most important rule - a lesson must be cancelled the day before at the latest, per email or phone. Same day cancellations will be billed in full.
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TESTIMONIALS
coming soon.........
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TEACHER CREDENTIALS
Both Mr. and Mrs. Peno have almost 20 years of teaching experience, mostly children, but also adults. Lidija Peno has worked as teaching assistant to world-renouned soloist Mr. Ilja Grubert at the Musical Academy in Novi Sad, former Yugoslavia.
 Lidija Peno – violin was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and received her first violin lesson at age five. As a young violinist Lidija won five first prizes at national level competitions. She studied parallel at the Academy of Music in Novi Sad (BM) and at the Corsi Internazionali di Perfezionamento, Italy (Performance Diploma), Richard-Strauss-Konservatorium, Munich (Post Diploma) and the Boston Conservatory of Music (Perfomance Diploma). L. Peno’s teachers include Pavel Vernikov, Ilja Grubert, Martin Albrecht Rohde, G. Jislin Lynn Cheng. Lidija has worked with trio Tchaikovsky and has performed solo with the Belgrade Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Philharmonic and La Picolla Symfonia di Vernezia. She has also been a member of the Gaertnerplatz Theater Orchestra in Munich and performed solo or with various large and chamber ensembles in Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Moscow, Venice, Milano, Munich, Paris, New York, Tokio, Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Chicago, San Francisco, Bordeaux, Madrid, Bilbao and others. L. Peno has also recorded for the Yugoslavian National Radio, Rai Uno, Italy and Paris – CD recording. Currently, in addition to teaching privately, Mrs. Peno free-lances with local groups like the Portland, ME Symphony, the New Bedford Symphony, the Con Fuoco String duo, trio and quartet and others.
 Chari Peno (Tchavdar Natchev-Peno) - piano, guitar, bassis the leader and manager of Con Fuoco String Quartet/Trio/Duo and their bass and classical guitar player. Mr. Peno has begun his musical studies on piano as a child. Later, in Munich, Germany, he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in classical bass and guitar, from the Richard-Strauss-Konservatorium. Mr. Peno holds also a Master’s Degree in jazz performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston. He has performed with various ensembles, such as the Echinger Symphonie Orchester, the Al Porcino Munich Big Band, the Milcho Leviev Duo, Karen Edwards Trio, Connexion Balkon, Tal Consort, the Vitello Tonnato & the Roaring Zucchinis and others. With these ensembles Mr. Peno has participated in numerous tours throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy and France, played on 4 CDs and film music tracks. Currently Mr. Peno is a member of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, the Nashua NH Symphony, the Chari Peno Jazz Trio/Quintet and works free lance with many others in the Boston area. Mr. Peno has also served with the Harvard University Chamber Orchestra and the Newton Symphony, with which he performed in Carnegie Hall, NYC in 2002.
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RECITALS
- The 2008 yearly recital of Chari's (Tchavdar's) piano and guitar students will take place on June (TBA) at the First Parish-Unitarian Church 50 Church St, Waltham, MA 02452, (781) 893-6240,(781) 899-0531, directions
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CONTACT US
Call Chari Peno at 617.359.4248, or send us an email with your inquiry. We will be happy to provide you with any useful information including personal references from current and past clients.
Student time slots are limited, but we'll work with you to find a mutually acceptable time for a lesson.
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PHOTOS and VIDEOS
Coming soon......
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