Faculty

Patricia Rüttimann is a Suzuki violin teacher and SECE teacher from Switzerland. 

Hannah Biss is a Suzuki Violin and Viola teacher based in Barnet, North London. She studied at Goldsmith's College, University of London followed by a Postgraduate teaching and performing course at the Royal Northern College of Music, leading to the invaluable Suzuki Teacher training course.

Having performed extensively in Europe and America for the years straight out of college, it was inevitable that teaching would be the main focus and love in Hannah's career and she is now sought after to teach at Suzuki workshops and to conduct orchestras. During term time she balances private Suzuki teaching at home with teaching Chamber Music, Orchestras, Violin and Viola in a number of North London Schools. She is currently Chair of the British Suzuki Music Association Trustees.

Guillem Calvo Martínez de Albéniz is a violinist, Suzuki teacher trainer, and educator based in the UK, working internationally with students, teachers, and families. Trained in Europe and the UK, he combines a strong classical foundation with a deep commitment to the Suzuki philosophy, mindful practice, and human-centred teaching.

Guillem is actively involved in teacher training in the UK and abroad, and has worked closely with Suzuki communities in South Africa over recent years. His work focuses on building sustainable learning cultures — supporting not only technical and musical development, but also confidence, connection, and long-term growth in both teachers and students. He is particularly passionate about parent education, habit formation, and creating training environments where care, clarity, and high standards can coexist.

Alongside his teaching, Guillem performs regularly as a chamber musician and is committed to making high-quality music education accessible and meaningful across diverse communities.

Keri Cassidy Taylor is a Suzuki Early Childhood Educator, Suzuki Violin Teacher and Director of Suzuki Method Northern Ireland. Suzuki trained from the age of 3, Keri feels very fortunate to have been in the first group of Suzuki children to be trained in Northern Ireland by Brigid Walton.

After graduating with BMus (Hons) from the University of Ulster, Keri starting travelling to London for the BSMA Violin Teacher Training course. After achieving Level Five, Keri was excited to learn of the introduction of Suzuki ECE Teacher Training in Europe. Currently a Level 4 ESA SECE Teacher, Keri has also travelled annually to Canada for training and has attained SAA SECE Stage 5. Keri thoroughly enjoys travelling to Suzuki courses worldwide - from Japan, Australia, Canada and extensively throughout Europe. Keri looks forward to meeting you all very soon!

Heather Clemson studied Viola and French Horn at the Royal Academy of Music and following a year`s teaching qualification got a job in Birmingham where she taught Suzuki Method in city schools for many years.

Heather started studying to be a Suzuki teacher in London with British Suzuki shortly after starting her job in Birmingham with the music service and having completed the Suzuki teacher training course she was awarded a scholarship and travelled to Japan to study with Dr Suzuki for three months.

Back in Birmingham she taught Suzuki Method in city schools for many years -becoming an Advanced Skills Teacher and then Head of Ensembles. She managed staff and ran events for seventy orchestras, ensembles, bands and groups both non auditioned and auditioned. Latterly Heather was fortunate enough to become Deputy Head of the music service in Birmingham.

During this time as a Suzuki teacher, Heather was appointed a Teacher Trainer and has, for many years, directed the British Suzuki Violin Teacher Training course in the Midlands. She is also working at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire delivering a Suzuki pedagogy program for string students and is encouraged to see that a number of these young people are considering joining a training course in the future.

Heather has a thriving private teaching studio and loves every aspect of being a Suzuki teacher and teacher trainer and hopes she can pass on the happiness and pleasure that music and teaching gives her every day…

Mysie Ferguson graduated from the Royal Scottish academy of Music & Drama and embarked on her professional career as a violist with the Academy of the BBC. After gaining much valuable experience and working with many eminent conductors, she left to take up a position which she was to hold for 14 years with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. As violist with this orchestra she took part in numerous recordings for both radio and TV and undertook many foreign tours including concert tours to Hong Kong, Poland and the USA and Canada as well as regular appearances at the London Promenade series.

Since 2012 Mysie has been director of the Suzuki Viola Teacher Training programme in Madrid. She has also run viola conversion courses in Ireland, England; Iceland and Spain and is in demand as teacher; teacher trainer and examiner all across Europe. In 2013 she was very honoured to teach at the 14th Suzuki World Convention in Matsumoto, Japan.

Mysie continues to run her own private teaching practice in Edinburgh where she teaches both violin and viola players of all ages. She is also the mother of two Suzuki taught children and now grandmother of one.

Cate Howard has studied and played the violin since the age of six. A graduate of the University of Witwatersrand School of Music, Cate continued postgraduate studies with Jascha Brodsky (Temple University, Philadelphia) and Igor Ozim (Musikhochschule Köln, Germany). She has performed and taught extensively in the US (Settlement Music School Philadelphia, New England Conservatory Preparatory School Boston, String Arts School of Concord), South Africa, Tanzania (Umoja Music School), Germany (Musikschule Marburg) and in the UK. Cate is a certified Suzuki teacher with both the SAA and BSMA. 

In 2008, she published her first book 'How the Violin Plays the Violinist'. Currently, Cate is a Lecturer of Violin/Viola at the Junior Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, a Tutor for the Benedetti Foundation, and she directs the Galloway Violin Studio, Castle Douglas Scotland.

Laura Keuzenkamp completed her viola studies in 2015 at the Maastricht Conservatory in The Netherlands. It soon became clear that teaching violin and viola lessons to students of all ages is her great passion. After teaching in her own studio for a number of years, she ended up at the 'Strijkdomein' in The Hague. Together with other colleagues (Suzuki and Non-Suzuki) they form a collective of string teachers and organize different projects for the students of the school every year.

Since 2018, Laura has enjoyed teaching according to the Suzuki Method, for which she passed all violin levels at the Antwerp Conservatory in Belgium. In 2024 Laura obtained Level 4 for Suzuki Viola in Italy and is currently in training for Level 5 in Edinburgh and London. In the past years she was invited to teach at several workshops including the National Suzuki Workshop in The Netherlands, the European Suzuki Viola Gathering in Belgium and The Netherlands, Musica Molto Suzuki Summer Course, Con Calore Suzuki Autumn Workshop in Belgium, and the BSMA National Suzuki Workshop in the UK.

Sam Knops studied Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium, with Leo De Neve. 

After his Masters Degree, he played in the major orchestras of Belgium, including La Monnaie, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonics, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, and Royal Flemish Opera.

Sam took his Suzuki training with Ilona Telmanyi in Denmark, gaining level 5 for viola in 2013. He teaches the viola group ‘Con Calore’, based in Zottegem, Belgium, who hosted the recent European Suzuki Viola Gathering in Ostende in October 2022.

Canada native Margaret Parkin began her musical studies as a Suzuki violin student with Richard Lawrence at the age of 4. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Queen's University (ON) and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from McGill University where she studied under the direction of Iwan Edwards and John Baboukis. She is an ESA graduate teacher for both violin and viola, chair of the BSMA Events Committee, an ESA Violin Teacher Trainer, Director of BSMA Violin Teacher Training in London, and a member of the ESA Violin Committee.

Margaret is the director of the Oxford Suzuki String Group where she maintains a private studio of violin and viola students. She has previously served as director of the Exeter Suzuki String Group, as a member of faculty at the Suzuki String School of Guelph (ON), and director of the Guelph Youth Music Centre String Orchestras. She is a regular guest clinician, conductor, and speaker at workshops and institutes in Canada, the UK, and Europe. Her most rewarding role is that of Suzuki parent to her teenage son.

Clare Raybould studied violin at Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Academy of Music, her teachers including Simon Fischer and Catherine Lord. Following graduation, she continued her studies with Kyra Humphreys and Joey Corpus. She has been teaching violin and viola for over 25 years, previously at Thomas' London Day Schools where she was Head of Strings, and Hill House International Junior School. She now has a private teaching studio and is a member of the Junior Trinity Laban faculty. 

After being introduced to the Suzuki method in 2007 she began training, completing Level 5 in 2012. She also has undertaken extensive additional pedagogical training with Mimi Zweig at Jacobs School of Music and with the Rolland String Pedagogy Society. In 2024 Clare achieved a MSc Distinction from Goldsmiths, University of London in 'Music Mind and Brain' (the psychology and neuroscience of music) developing research interests in musical memory, and performance health and wellbeing.

As a freelance violinist, Clare has performed with numerous orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and Royal Northern Sinfonia, and tutored on education and outreach projects with RPO Resound. She has also worked with chamber ensembles and on pop, film and TV sessions.

Anja Smith began her Suzuki journey at the age of 6, studying with Mary Trewin at the Taunton Suzuki Group, one of the early Suzuki centres in the UK. She went on to perform with the National Children's Orchestra in venues including York Minster, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. She holds a music degree from Cardiff University, where she developed a particular interest in chamber music under the guidance of Professor Robin Stowell.

Anja is a fully qualified teacher with over 20 years experience across both primary and secondary education, including leadership as Head of Music. She now specialises in Suzuki teaching, working with children from early years through to advanced levels. She is founder and director of the Stamford Suzuki Group, where she is committed to nurturing ability and a love of music through the Suzuki approach.

Alongside her teaching, Anja is an active performer and musical leader. She is leader of the Stamford Chamber Orchestra and a trustee of the charity, where she supports local musicians by creating and organising performances. Her latest venture is as founder of Stamford Youth Orchestra, driven by her belief that music-making should be an integral and accessible part of every young person's life.

Helen Twomey is a violin teacher and performer committed to high standards of musicianship and pedagogy. While not originally trained within the Suzuki tradition, she has fully embraced its philosophy, particularly its emphasis on careful listening, parental involvement, and the holistic development of each student.

She graduated from Trinity College of Music, where she studied with Gillian Findlay on the violin and Richard Crabtree on viola. She also holds a PGCE with QTS from the UCL Institute of Education, bringing a strong academic and pedagogical grounding to her work.

Helen trained as Suzuki teacher after teaching students in a school, obtaining Level 5 status in 2017. She maintains an active teaching practice, working with students across a range of ages and abilities and has led groups at the BSMA Violin Graduations.

Alongside her teaching, Helen remains active as a performer with the Chameleon Arts Orchestra and is dedicated to ongoing professional development. She works as a Whole Class Ensemble Teacher for Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT), while maintaining an active teaching practice from home, working with students of all ages and abilities.

Estonian pianist Liivi Arder studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Toivo Nahkur and Nata-Ly Sakkos. In 2010 she completed the Advanced Accompaniment Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Fali Pavri and later received the Sam Hutchings Fellowship award. She has taken part in several competitions winning first prize in the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome, third prize in the chamber music category of the 11th Pietro Argento Music Competition in Gioia del Colle, the Estonian National Television prize in their Con Brio competition, and has also been awarded the Hester Dickson accompanist prize. 

Liivi has been a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA) at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival and was a member of the EMTA New Music Ensemble playing in the Contemporary Music Festival in Seoul. 

As an accompanist Liivi has been working for music summer courses and masterclasses at the RCS as well as with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She has given chamber music concerts with Peter Wesley and Kai Kim, and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Glasgow West End Festival with the ensemble Daniel's Beard. Liivi is currently an accompanist and coach at the RCS String Department and Junior Conservatoire of Scotland and a member of the Da Vinci Piano Trio.

Edward Cohen is Manager of the School of Music and Lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), and pianist for the choruses of the RSNO. He performs regularly with leading musicians in major venues and has been broadcast internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, including at the BBC Proms. He also serves as CEO of the Scottish International Piano Competition.

Edward has worked closely as a rehearsal pianist with many of the world's foremost conductors, including Sir Andrew Davis, Tan Dun, Thomas Søndergård, Gustavo Dudamel, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. In concert, he has performed under Ryan Bancroft, Pierre Boulez, and Neeme Järvi, amongst others, with concerto performances spanning Beethoven, de Falla, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and Strauss.

A prize-winning first-class graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, he holds two Master's degrees with distinction from the RCS, where he received top awards in both solo and chamber music performance, including the prestigious Governors' Recital Prize.

Orchestra - Margaret Parkin

Sarah Skerritt graduated with BMus (Hons.) from the D.I.T. Conservatory of Music in Vocal Pedagogy.

In September 2014, she relocated to Hungary in order to attend the Kodály Institute, Kecskemét. There, she received a diploma in Advanced Choral Conducting (Highest Honours).

She completed her MA (Kodály Music Pedagogy) and graduated with distinction in 2015. That year, she also worked with Tenso European Chamber choir.

A recipient of the esteemed Bacon-Erdei Scholarship, Sarah was invited to conduct educational research in Budapest in 2016.

She completed her PDGE at Strathclyde University (Secondary Music) in 2017. Currently, Sarah is a Teacher of Music with East Renfrewshire Council, lectures at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Early Years Musicianship), works with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Youth Choruses and National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland as Musicianship Tutor.