Le violon intérieur

Dominique Hoppenot

The Inner Violin is a guide to the mastery of violin technique and offers a path to the authenticity that all artists strive for. Hoppenot was the first to observe what she called le mal du violon (the violin disease). Very early on she understood that this problematic rapport with the instrument was a common condition of musicians who associate the violin with physical pain, anxiety, and frustration. This book demonstrates with acute clarity the connection between body and mind when playing the violin and interpreting music.

For three decades until her untimely death from cancer in 1983, Dominique Hoppenot was celebrated for her personal, original, and humane approach to violin teaching. The Inner Violin (Le violon intérieur), first published in 1981, is the culmination of her long experience as a violin pedagogue. A teacher of both professional instrumentalists and amateurs, Hoppenot challenged traditional academic teaching methods and her many workshops influenced a generation of string instrumentalists. A website (https://dominiquehoppenot.com) created by some of Hoppenot’s students is a testimony to her remarkable impact and legacy.