Faculty

Instrument

Level

Julian Fisher Maestro

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

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.

Mary Fisher Maestro

Artistic Director.Cello, Suzuki Cello and Cello Choir

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.

Mary has extensive pedagogical training in the Suzuki Method, and is equally versed in traditional teaching approaches. Many of her students have gone on to careers as teachers and performers, as well achieving numerous awards in music festivals, Silver Medals in Royal Conservatory Examinations, and successful auditions to arts-based High Schools. Mary studied cello performance at the University of Manitoba, and taught for ten years at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is an active adjudicator and a member of the RCM College of Examiners.

Emma Fisher Artist

Cello

Emma’s teaching philosophy focuses on building strong technique, musical expression, and a genuine love and enjoyment of learning the cello.

Ms. Fisher is a graduate of the New England Conservatory and McGill University, and a substitute musician with L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

She is dedicated to sharing her professional experience with students of all ages.

Jill Clarke Associate

Violin, Suzuki Violin and Viola

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 Artist

Piano, Accompanying, Ear Training and Coaching

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 Artist

Violin and Viola

Phillip 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.

Brandon Davis Artist

Double Bass, Electric Bass, Suzuki Bass and Ukulele

Brandon 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.

Louise Friesen Artist

Piano

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.

Anna Graham Associate

Guitar, Classical Guitar, Folk Guitar and Suzuki Guitar

Welcome to my studio!

Classical Guitar is my passion. I have taught it for over 25 years.

I was the guitar instructor at Algoma Conservatory of Music from 1991 until 2002. During that time, I performed as a member of the Algoma Chamber Players, and as a solo guitarist. I then taught French and Music at the Toronto District School Board.

Susan Greenway Artist

Piano

Susan Greenway holds an ARCT in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory and a Master’s degree in piano performance from University of Toronto.

Her main teachers were Boris Lysenko and Marietta Orlov.

She has been a Canadian Music Competition finalist and a resident at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Aside from teaching 40 students per week Susan is also working on her first solo CD.

Susan Hamblin Dennis Maestro

Piano and Piano Pedagogy

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 Artist

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.

Mary Kenedi Artist

Piano

Mary Kenedi, a Hungarian-born pianist has been teaching for 54 years. First at the University Settlement, and later at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Mc Master University in Hamilton.

She has a Licentiate Diploma from the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelor of Music and Master degree in pedagogy and performance.

Mary also spent a year studying at the world-famous Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, again both pedagogy and performance. She was also studying the Kodaly method, which is a wonderful introductory method for beginners.

Her decades of being an examiner and her performing enabled her to work with a special perspective into teaching from beginning levels to University.

Karen Kabiri Artist

Double Bass

Double 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 Artist

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.

Bronson has performed and taught violin and viola repertoire at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level at the Toronto School for Strings and Piano for over twenty years.

Eslin McKay Artist

Violin and Suzuki Violin

Eslin 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.

Eslin has been involved with orchestras since the age of five and in 2009 Eslin toured Canada as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada led by conductor Alain Trudel. She has been concertmaster and principal player of numerous orchestras including the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Jennifer Melvin Associate

Violin, Suzuki Violin and Fiddling

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.

Through her early teens, she successfully competed in several music competitions, and played in multiple orchestras. Jennifer received a scholarship to the Gaelic College in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She was named concert-mistress of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, and toured through China with them in 2007. After this, she commenced her studies in Violin Performance at the University of Toronto, under the esteemed concertmaster of the TSO, Jacques Israelievitch.

Humberto Ramírez Artist

Violin

Humberto Ramírez is a Colombian violinist and educator with a holistic approach to music education.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance and a Performer Diploma from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (Bloomington) and an undergraduate degree from Juan N. Corpas University in Bogotá. He is currently pursuing a DMA in Violin Performance at the University of Toronto, studying with Jonathan Crow, concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and with Mark Fewer.

Sheila Smyth Associate

Violin, Viola and Viola da gamba

Sheila is a professionally-trained performer and teacher who is passionate about teaching and enjoys working with people of all ages and levels.

Sheila is, above all, an imaginative teacher, and because of her extensive professional training she has many creative strategies and ideas in her teaching toolbox.

Kleis Swan Artist

Violin

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.

Kleis holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Toronto (1992) where her principal teacher was Lorand Fenyves. In addition to her University programme, she has studied at the Soundfest Institute for Chamber Music with the Colorado String Quartet and at the Banff Centre. As a freelance violinist, Kleis has played in most major orchestras in the Toronto area. She was also a member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Joy Tseng Artist

Piano

Joy 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).

Thank you so much for providing such an amazing and inspirational place for our daughter to experience music.

Bronwyn V.

I have loved learning violin again. Thank you for bringing music back into my life and giving me a wonderful and rewarding hobby.

Orlando S.

I chose the Toronto School for Strings and Piano because of the convenient location. As my lessons progressed however, I found the location to be just one of the many aspects of the school that appealed to me. The directors and staff go out of their way to ensure the best possible experience. The TSSP offers fair prices and employs excellent teachers that are highly professional and experienced. My lessons are a true pleasure to attend, and I have found myself improving quickly.

Jackie S.

Dear Mary and Julian,
Congratulations on your 25th Anniversary - and extraordinary achievement. Also a meaningful contribution to the lives of many young people.
With admiration,

Peter Simon

Thank you again for the extraordinary learning experience, confidence, and warm friendship that “you guys” gave me during my short stay in Toronto. I promise that I will continue my lessons and never give up on my dream of playing the piano.

Jeanine

You played an immeasurably significant role in the development of Maya's love of music.
You, and of course Mary, will always have a special place in our hearts and will forever remain as valued friends.

David

My cello teacher at the TSS has been marvelous and I am learning a great deal. He even brought me a practice mirror on his bicycle! Again, thank you for providing such a wonderful experience.

William K.

Safiya completed her ARCT Practical Exam in Guitar with Honours.
Drew is an amazing teacher and musician. We are incredibly grateful to him for all the work he put into preparing Safiya.
We are very pleased with the music school that you run. You are all true professionals.

Elena Erdogan

Emily gained so much from her time with you, Julian and part of our pride in her accomplishments belongs to you too. She learned far more than simply her music - she learned that hard work, determination and a goal can lead to great things. She also learned the value of mentorship from your example, and has volunteered to mentor others at her law school this year.

Carole S.

The lessons are such a bright light in the week for our girls.

We often talked about you (Mary) for years after you stopped teaching him, how you encouraged him to be a future Yo Yo Ma. Maybe that's what did it! You might be interested to hear him tell you all the things that he is doing in music now beyond the cello... and you will be proud of him, as you gave him his earliest musical formation.

Kim P.