About

Fiona Mckinley

Fiona lives in Bournemouth and is the visiting violin and viola specialist teacher at Canford School, one of Britain’s leading independent schools. She was also Head Of Theory at Canford School. Under her tutorship, 81 children have passed grade 8 violin, many with distinction. Many of her students have followed careers as professional musicians and music teachers.

She is also Music Director of the Coda Fiddle Orchestra (Hon Patron Nigel Kennedy) a community music project supported by Rotary (see Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/codafiddleorchestra ).

CFO has performed at the Royal Festival Hall and one student gained a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School.

She is visiting professor of violin and viola at Portsmouth University, one of Britains leading universities. Students prepare for Batchelor of Arts degrees. The universty alumni is impressive.

Fiona is a tutor with the National Children’s Orchestra.

She graduated with Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours in 1990 from Queensland University, performing Paganini’s 1^st concerto. Since then, she has followed an international career as soloist and teacher in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the UK, firstly as no. 7 first violin with the West Australia Symphony Orchestra, then the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, where she was also a member of their prize winning education team, then as a free lance violinist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She played viola for the Bournemouth Arts Festival By The Sea Paganini guitar quartet series, and violin for the Bournemouth Chamber Music Society concert with the international guitar soloist Carlos Bonell, and members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. She performed Saint Saens Introduction and Allegro as soloist with the Bournemouth Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed with the Britten Sinfonia.

Fiona teaches at home in Boscombe, Bournemouth, and remotely on Teams, Zoom, Webex and Whatsapp.

All students receive a trial lesson free of charge.

“Fiona raised the Canford School string department to its current standard of excellence.”…..David Warwick, former Head of Music at Canford School

“The children adore Fiona’s classes, and they are all progressing remarkably. My daughter now wants to be a violin teacher”…….Mrs C, parent of 4 children all scholarship holders with the Coda Fiddle Orchestra

To make an enquiry, e mail Fiona at

fiona.m.mckinley@gmail.com or telephone her on

07503225094