Kerstin
Wartberg received her professional musical education at the Conservatory (Musikhochschule)
of Cologne, earning violin performance and teaching degrees. After her graduation
in Germany, she went to Japan for two years, where she was the first German to
study at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. She graduated in
1981. In 1982 she became the director of the teacher-training program at the German
Suzuki Institute, a position that she continues to hold today.
Ms. Wartberg
regularly organizes string workshops, courses and concerts. In 1987, she was the
Director of the 8th Suzuki Method International Conference at the International
Congress Center Berlin, which boasted 4000 active participants from more than
32 different countries. Currently, she works in Europe as an examiner for Suzuki
teacher training examinations, and is Professor of Music Education at Musikhochschule
Frankfurt (University of Frankfurt) where she teaches instrumental music education
and string pedagogy. She is in demand to teach and lecture worldwide at universities,
conservatories, conferences, workshops and festivals.
In addition to teaching
in public forums, Ms. Wartberg is the author of several teaching books and CDs,
including the Step by Step series of violin exercise books and companion CDs,
all of which are published by Alfred Music Publishing Co. She drafted this series, based
on Dr. Suzuki's Method, at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan
between 1981 and 1986, where it was approved by Dr. Suzuki and tested by numerous
Suzuki teachers, their students and parents. Step by Step represents a source
of Dr. Suzuki's instrumental concepts as well as specific instructions concerning
the individual pieces, in both written and audio form. Many of the publications
are available in German, English, French and Spanish.