With a strong passion for the technical and musical training of talented string players, Lefohn has an outstanding record of fostering the development of individual student talent. He regularly presents masterclasses and pedagogical workshops throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Teaching

He taught violin performance at the University of Otago, where he served as Senior Lecturer in Violin from 1998-2007. His students have been awarded top prizes in local, national, and international competitions. His graduating students have obtained Graduate Assistantship positions and full-tuition scholarships at the University of Oregon School of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (USA). Additionally, graduates have received graduate scholarship positions at the Australian Institute of Music (Sydney), the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music (Canada), and the New England Conservatory (USA). Graduating students have performed in international solo and chamber music recitals, and attended international chamber music festivals, been accepted to prestigious international summer schools, as well as accepted positions in professional orchestras and chamber music ensembles.

Lefohn’s service to the community is extensive, including major educational and performance-based projects as well as jury member of major national and international competitions.

These projects include:

Marama Strings Project www.otago.ac.nz/Music/marama/

As founder and Director of the Marama Strings Project, a community music program for young children and affiliated with the University of Otago Department of Music, Lefohn has guided the program from its inception to a nationally acclaimed institution for the training of young string players. Success of this Project has been repeatedly demonstrated by student achievements. Selected Marama Strings Project students compete in local and national competitions as well as play in masterclasses presented by national and international visiting artists.

Marama Strings Charitable Trust www.qvss.com/marama_trust.htm

Lefohn is a founding Trustee of the Marama Strings Charitable Trust, a New Zealand Charitable Trust dedicated to the promotion of a high standard of string music education and performance.

Queenstown Violin Summer School www.qvss.com

Lefohn is the co-founder and the Artistic Director of the Queenstown Violin Summer School. The Summer School, now embarking on its seventh season in 2009, is run in association with the Marama Strings Charitable Trust. The Summer School, unique in New Zealand, attracts an outstanding international faculty and is the only School of its kind in Austral-Asia to offer intensive solo study for advanced violinists. In recognition of the Summer School's artistic accomplishments and sound management, the School received major funding grants from New Zealand Government arts funding board, Creative New Zealand, in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Adjudication

At the invitation of Maestro Shlomo Mintz, Lefohn served as a member of the esteemed Jury of the 2005 Sion Valais International Violin Competition, Maestro Mintz, President, in Sion, Switzerland. In late 2006, he served on the Semi-finalist Jury of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition www.violincompetition.co.nz, in Auckland, New Zealand.