Toronto School for Strings

The Toronto School for Strings was founded in 1999, by Julian and Mary Fisher, to provide their students with a positive and stimulating learning experience. Our faculty of highly qualified and experienced teachers incorporate the best of the world-renowned Suzuki Philosophy, the rigor of the nationally recognized Royal Conservatory of Music Examination system and other approaches tailored to the needs of individual students. Our teachers include accredited adjudicators and performers active in the musical life of Toronto. We emphasize the quality of the learning environment and foster artistic growth amongst all our students, who range in age from young children to senior citizens.

Instruments taught include violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, guitar, electric bass, flute and recorder. We encourage our students to take advantage of enriching opportunities such as rehearsing with a professional accompanist, or playing with small ensembles or orchestra. We offer a fun and creative approach to theory in private lessons or small groups. We also encourage the implementation of music technology. The core of our instruction is classical by nature, but we also include jazz and improvisation.

Adults are welcome to be students at the TSS.

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please click here

Feel free to call us with your questions or comments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2:00 p.m.

News and Announcements

Last updated on March 26, 2008

We are pleased to announce the Summer Music Program at the Toronto School for Strings. We are offering a wide variety of special summer programs as well as our TSS Summer Music Day Camp. For more information please click here.

Group dates for TSS

Violin Groups

March 26
April 9, 23
May 7, 21
June 11 CONCERT 7 PM *)

Cello Groups

April 2, 16, 30
May 14, 28

Orchestra Dates, Junior Strings, and TSSO

March 26
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
May 7, 14, 21, 28,
No practise on June 11. Groups Concert. *)

*) Concert begins at 7:00 at the Church of the Redeemer. Please ensure your child is present one hour before concert time for tuning and warm-up.

Stanley Solomon

The Toronto School for Strings has made Stanley Solomon a Honourary Fellow of the TSS. Stanley was principal viola and principal viola emeritus of the Toronto Symphony for nearly forty years. He was Julian's teacher for four years and had a great influence on him.

Coming soon! Salon concerts at the TSS

Our main floor opens into a delightful performing space.

The Toronto School for Strings has become a Chocolatocracy

It has recognized the basic need of most people to have freedom to a supply of chocolate for nutritional, or psychological purposes.

We will endeavor to keep a supply at the school.

How to support the Chocolatocracy

If you receive a gift of chocolates, and wish to donate them, we will gratefully receive them.

Julian Fisher, Principal.

Congratulations!

Nine TSS students have been added to the TSS Honour Roll in recognition of their achievements at the Spring - Summer 2007 RCM Examinations!

Lydia Gailus Memorial Bursary

In loving memory of a remarkable musician, the Toronto School for Strings has established a bursary for deserving students in need of financial assistance. Please speak to the principal, Julian Fisher about helping us to grow this fund, or for information about receiving financial assistance.

Special thanks to Eric Gailus for providing us with a substantial donation of violin, viola and chamber music belonging to his late mother.

This will be a great asset to the school library.

TSS renovations complete!

We will be having an open house in early September, but you are welcome to visit for a early preview of our beautiful, enlarged space. Special thanks to Roumen Marinov, our master builder who carried out this great project.

An extra special thank-you to our landlords, Elizabeth Burridge and David Airth of David's Framing. They are our landlords as well as our neighbours. We have had all of our pictures framed by them, and recommend them highly! We are grateful to them for their co-operation and financial participation in this project. It would have been impossible without them.

Click here to see the photos

Calendar of Events

Click here to view our Toronto School for Strings calendar.

For Mac users: You can subscribe to TSS Calendar here. To learn more about iCal or to download a copy, go to http://www.apple.com/ical

Payment with Credit and Debit Cards

We now accept VISA, MasterCard, and Interac.

Guitar Lessons

The Toronto School for Strings is now offering guitar lessons with our new faculty member, Drew Henderson.

Commendations and Testimonials

I love theory! David rocks!
Kristen Latip