Faculty

Julian Fisher

Principal and Music Director, TSSO. Violin, Viola and Suzuki Violin

Julian Fisher

Julian Fisher holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Viola) from the University of Toronto(1988). He studied viola with Stanley Solomon and Osher Green. For ten years he was a faculty member at The Royal Conservatory of Music, and is a member of the College of Examiners.

As a teacher, Julian has taught violin and viola since 1976. He is a member of the Suzuki Association of Ontario, and he is a long-time member of the Ontario Registered Teachers’ Association. Julian is active as an adjudicator in many music festivals across Canada. He conducts the Adult Orchestra at the Toronto School for Strings and Piano, which Julian and his wife Mary co-founded in 1999. He is Principal Viola in the Hart House Orchestra at the University of Toronto. 


Julian is the Principal, Registrar and CEO at the Toronto School for Strings and Piano.

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Mary Fisher

Artistic Director. Cello, Suzuki Cello and Cello Choir

Mary Fisher
Mary Fisher co-founded the Toronto School for Strings with her husband Julian in 1999. She has taught cello for over twenty five years, and brings a wealth of experience, instructing at all levels of cello, from young beginners to gifted young people, and to adults. …→

Jill Clarke

Violin, Viola & Suzuki Violin

Jill Clarke

Jill received her Bachelor of Music from Queen’s University, and attended the Royal Conservatory of Music as part of the Orchestral Training Program and Professional School. She received her Suzuki teacher training from the Kingston and Ithaca Suzuki Institutes. …→

Dona Jean Clary

Piano, Coaching, Ear Training and Accompanying

Dona Jean Clary

Dona Jean Clary, pianist, graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Regina. Scholarship awards enabled her to continue her musical studies in London, England, where she received her Licentiate from the Royal Academy of Music. Subsequently, Ms. Clary taught for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. …→

Phillip Coonce

Violin, Viola

Phillip CooncePhillip Coonce, violinist and violist, has studied with Leonard Felberg, Hiroko Yajima, Felix Galimir, Blanche Moyse and Raphael Bronstein. He earned a B. Mus. from the University of New Mexico, an M. Mus. from SUNY at Stony Brook, and a DMA from the Manhattan School of Music. He has performed with the New Jersey Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Hudson Chamber Players and the Martha Graham Ballet.

A member of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and the Right as Rain Bluegrass Trio, Dr. Coonce is on the faculties of the Joiner Academy, Playweek and Summertrios.

He is also the author of Toquemos el Violín, and is the inventor of the Don’t Fret Finger Position Indicator.

Brandon Davis

Bass (electric and upright), Suzuki Bass, Ukulele

Brandon DavisBrandon Davis is a Toronto-based bassist, composer, and educator. He holds a Masters in Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He attended the Jazz Performance program as an upright bass major and was on the Dean’s List for all four semesters of his studies. He primarily plays and teaches upright bass and improvisation, but also offers lessons in electric bass, guitar, and beginner ukulele and piano. As a performer, Brandon has experience playing in jazz, folk, and classical settings all throughout Toronto and New York, including notable venues such as the Rex in Toronto, and the 55 Bar in New York. …→

Louise Friesen

Piano

Louise Friesen

Louise Zacharias Friesen first received an ARCT in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Church Music in Winnipeg, followed by a Bachelor of Music in Piano from UBC where she studied with Jane Coop.

As a piano duo with her best friend Sandra Joy Friesen, she toured from BC to Manitoba. Choral experiences in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Saskatoon have been a great joy for her, especially her seven seasons as a soprano with Pro Coro Canada.

While raising six musical children with her husband Chris, Louise has lived on the west coast, in northern Alberta, in California, and on the Canadian prairies. In these locations and beyond, she has played and sung with her family in well over a hundred folk and classical concerts.

With a particular passion for Bach, she greatly enjoys collaborating with singers and instrumentalists of all ages and abilities in festivals, concerts, and competitions. In Saskatoon, Louise pioneered a choir for homeschooled children which presented several seasons of concerts and musicals. She believes strongly in the transforming beauty that music brings to hearts, minds, souls, and the world at large.

In her free time, Louise loves being in nature and spending time with her family.  

Joyce Gundy

Violin

Joyce Gundy

Joyce Gundy holds an ARCT Diploma in Violin Performance from The Royal Conservatory of Music and also studied chamber music with Henri Temianka.

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Susan Hamblin Dennis

Piano, Piano Pedagogy

Susan Hamblin Dennis

Susan Hamblin Dennis maintains a busy schedule of accompanying and teaching in Toronto. She is a past pedagogy and piano faculty member of both the Glenn Gould School and the Community School for the Royal Conservatory of Music. As an examiner for the RCM and an adjudicator of music festivals, she has visited many areas of Canada and the United States. …→

Windsor Johnson

Piano, Jazz Piano and Suzuki Piano

Windsor Johnson - piano, jazz piano and Suzuki piano

Windsor Johnson graduated from The Hartt School — Masters in Piano Performance/Pedagogy — 2014-2016. Suzuki and traditional piano instructor, The Hartt School Community Division (HCD), University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT — 2008-2016.

He is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

A very personable teacher, Windsor is equally at home with traditional, “Conservatory Style” teaching, and jazz. He is gifted at working with younger students. …→

Karen Kabiri

Double Bass

Karen KabiriDouble bassist Karen Kabiri holds a Bachelor of Arts in double bass performance from Art and Architecture University in Tehran.

Karen began his music career as a double bass player in the Tehran Symphony Orchestra in 1995. He was principal double bass of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra in 2006-2010, the Parsian String Orchestra in 2008-2010, the Noban String Ensemble in 2005-2007 and the Markham Symphony Orchestra. …→

Bronson Kwan

Violin

Bronson Kwan holds an Artist Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music and an Associate Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, England where he studied with David Takeno.

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Eslin McKay

Violin and Suzuki Violin

Eslin McKayEslin McKay picked up her first violin at the age of three, beginning her musical education through the Suzuki Method with Virginia Little in Brantford Ontario. She has graduated with Honours in Violin Performance at the University of Toronto where she studied with Annalee Patipatanikoon. As a student at the University of Toronto Eslin was a member of numerous string quartets both as a violinist and violist, and was named runner up for the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award. …→

Lydia Munchinsky

Cello

Lydia Munchinsky

Cellist Lydia Munchinsky is originally from Straffordville Ontario. She began her piano studies at the age of 4 and cello when she was 10.

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Jennifer Melvin

Fiddling, Violin & Suzuki Violin

Jennifer Melvin

Jennifer Melvin is a professionally trained violinist and Celtic fiddler. Born and raised in the small village of Canning, in Nova Scotia (east coast of Canada), she grew up surrounded with traditional Celtic music, and in a home that nurtured the love of classical music. …→

Dr. Tracy Anne Smith

Guitar and Suzuki Guitar

Tracy Smith

Recognized as “a great musician…full of feeling and colours” by composer Jacques Hétu, Dr. Tracy Anne Smith garners praise for her expressive performances, rich tonal palette, and musical control.

Smith has performed and taught through her native Canada and in the United States, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain, and England.

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Kleis Swan

Violin

Kleis Swan

Kleis Swan began violin at six in Saskatoon and by fourteen had joined the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. A member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for several seasons, she earned the A.R.C.T. from the Royal Conservatory of Music with the Gold Medal for the highest standing in Canada. …→

Lucia Ticho

Cello

Lucia Ticho

Chicago-native cellist Lucia Ticho enjoys an active career as a performer and pedagogue.

She joined the Toronto Symphony in 2022 and has played with the Houston Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and the Classical Tahoe Orchestra.

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Joy Tseng

Piano

Joy TsengJoy Tseng holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. She received her Master of Music from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois where she majored in music education and piano pedagogy. She also obtained her ARCT diploma in piano teaching from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Susan Hamblin Dennis, William Aide, and Marina Geringas. In her youth, Joy performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra playing the guzheng (Chinese plucked zither). …→

Andrés Tucci Clarke

Cello

Andrés Tucci Clarke

Andrés Tucci Clarke grew up in Toronto and began his cello studies at the Dixon Hall Community Centre, and studied for several years with Mary Fisher. Andrés completed a Honours Bachelor of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2007 (studying with Simon Fryer), and a Masters of Music degree at the University of Ottawa in 2009 (with Paul Marleyn). He was also a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. …→

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