Argentina

Fernando Formigo and flute group from Patagonia, Argentina in front of a billboard advertising their public concert in Asuncion, Paraguay

The excellent quality and affordability of Di Zhao flutes have made dreams come true for a number of students in Latin America, and they are inspiring many others to see their own dreams as a real possibility.

In the fall of 2009, a group of Suzuki flute teachers and students in Canada, the US, and Taiwan contributed to the purchase of a Di Zhao alto and bass flute for the Orquesta de Flauta Traversas de San Martin de los Andes in Patagonia, Argentina.

In September 2010, members of the ensemble traveled to Paraguay to give demonstration concerts in local schools, and participate in master classes in Suzuki pedagogy for twelve teacher workshop participants. The twenty-seven-member tour group included flutists from the ages of seven to adult, and they performed Argentinean folk music as well as standards like Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the concerto for two flutes in C major by Vivaldi, and Passacaglia by Handel. They made big waves: the teachers who heard them play in Asunción immediately set the goal of founding a flute orchestra in Paraguay over the next few years.

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Me gustaría en estas pequeñas líneas poder plasmar, aunque resulte muy difícil, la experiencia vivida en el Festival Internacional de Flauta Traversa Método Suzuki de la Patagonia Argentina, realizado en octubre pasado.

Ante todo quiero dejar expresado mi agradecimiento a la Prof. Kelly Williamson (Canadá) y al Prof. Fernando Formigo (Argentina), ya que han dado su mayor esfuerzo para realizar tan importante evento, logrando que el Método Suzuki de Flauta Traversa llegue cada vez más cerca de la comunidad y se afiance con mayor fuerza…

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Estamos muy felices porque el Séptimo Encuentro Internacional de Voz Suzuki “Canciones para compartir” se realizó en Argentina del 2 al 8 de Enero de 2009.

Ha sido maravilloso compartir la música, el canto y el amor como parte de un mismo espíritu; el del Método Suzuki. Los participantes fueron profesores capacitadores, profesores en entrenamiento y alumnos de Finlandia, Autralia, Argentina, Perú, México, Chile y Paraguay. Las profesoras capacitadoras fueron la Dra. Päivi Kukkamäki, que es la fundadora de este Programa (Finlandia) y Katrina Pezzimenti (Australia).

El Programa de Voz Suzuki está creciendo cada vez más alrededor del…

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We are very happy because the Seventh Suzuki Voice International Workshop “Songs for sharing” was held in Argentina, January 2-8, 2009. It was wonderful to share the music, the singing and the love in one same Spirit based in the Suzuki approach. Participants were teacher trainers, teachers-in-training and students from Finland, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Chile and Paraguay. The teacher trainers were Dr. Päivi Kukkamäki, the founder of the Suzuki Voice Program…

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I would like to publicly thank Prof. Laurel Ann Maurer for sharing—with me and my Suzuki flute students—a wonderful day of teaching and music in Argentina.

Prof. Laurel Ann Maurer has shared generously with us her broad experience as a flutist and as a Suzuki Flute teacher in a workshop called “Jornada de Flauta Traversa Suzuki”. The meeting was held in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday 28th of March. Participants were the Suzuki flute Students from La Plata, level 1…

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“Would you ever bring this group to Argentina?” Ramona Stirling heard a voice behind her ask, at the 2006 SAA convention in Minneapolis. She turned to meet, for the first time, Fernando Piñero of Córdoba, soon to become the first violin teacher trainer in all of Latin America.
“Well, we have already planned to go to Argentina in the summer of 2008; we just did not know why? Perhaps we picked Argentina for you,” Ramona replied.

Thus began a wonderful association between the Suzuki programs of Cordoba, Argentina, and the Rocky Mountain Strings performing group, advanced students of Deborah Moench…

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The Festival in Patagonia took place in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, from the 10th to the 13th of September, 2008. 40 participants attended the course on Suzuki Philosophy given by the Scottish teacher Caroline Fraser from Perú. Three participants traveled from Caracas, Venezuela, and the rest came from the Argentine cities of Mar del Plata, Neuquén, Cinco Saltos, Zapala, Caviahue, San Martín de los Andes, Villa la Angostura and Bariloche.

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The 7th International Suzuki Voice Workshop will be held in Latin America for the first time, in La Plata Argentina, January 2-8, 2009. The workshop will include Voice Book 1 teacher training with Päivi Kukkamäki and Katrina Pezzimenti. The teacher audition deadline is November 30, 2008. For more information see the Suzuki Voice website.

The 5th Suzuki Music Festival of Buenos Aires took place from September 14th to 23rd, 2007. For the first time at the Buenos Aires festival, there were teacher workshops in flute, thanks in great part to the efforts of Fernando Formigo, who brought a large group of his students to the festival two years ago to give a workshop. Two teacher classes for flute were offered: the Book 2 class had six participants, and the Book 1 class had seven. Teacher participants came from all over Argentina (Patagonia, Bahia Blanca, La Plata, Cordoba, Rosario, and Jujuy as well as Buenos Aires). Two teachers from the January 2007 Book 1 class in Lima also came to Buenos Aires for Book 2, from Colombia and Chile.

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Two flutes went to Fernando Formigo’s Suzuki flute program in Patagonia, Argentina. Fernando has 40 students, 10 of whom do not own an instrument. Fernando has studied books 1-3 with David Gerry in Lima, Peru. He has also created a number of wonderful arrangements of Latin American music for his students which he has generously shared with Kelly Williamson, who has in turn shared them with other teachers.

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Frecuentemente en nuestras vidas plantamos una semilla sin saber si o cómo va crecer, esperando ver en ella prosperidad y belleza. Hacemos lo que sabemos para nutrirla atentamente y con paciencia, pero también hay cosas que debemos dejar libradas a las circunstancias y esperar a ver el fruto de nuestro esfuerzo. Esta es la historia de una semilla que planté, y cómo creció.

Mi historia comienza en Lima, Perú, en Enero del 2005, donde asistí al XX Festival Internacional Suzuki. Era la única “gringa” en el curso del Libro 10 de Violín además de mi profesora, Doris Preucil. Tanto ella como…

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7th-18th October, 2005

28 Cello Teachers in Argentina!

The first Suzuki cello teacher training course in Argentina was held in Buenos Aires from October 10-16 in beautiful spring weather. Twenty-seven cellists were enrolled: 25 in Book 1 and two in Book 9. Patricia Pasmanter, cellist and president of the Suzuki Association of Buenos Aires, and her staff ably provided for the needs of those enrolled. Four cellists had taken cello teacher training in other countries but they came to audit Book 1 again. This seems to be a pattern in cello study in South America. Patricia and Andrea Espinzo, currently in the Book 9-10 class, have studied Book 1 nine times!

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Frequently in our lives, we plant a seed not knowing if or how it will grow, hoping for bounty and beauty. We do what we know to nurture its growth, but must leave much to chance and contingency, and wait to see what fruit our efforts might bear us. This is the story of a seed I planted, and how it grew.

My story begins in Lima, Peru, in January, 2005, when I attended the XX Festival Suzuki as a teacher trainee. I was the only “gringa” in my violin Book 10 class with Teacher Trainer, Doris Preucil. In addition to…

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This year Lima hosted the Third Latin American Suzuki Teachers Conference, directed by Roberta Centurion and Caroline Fraser. The growth and development of these Encuentros has also been phenomenal. The first Encuentro was held in 1999 and the second in 2002. This time we felt the need to change hotels at the last minute because more and more people wanted to come, and we were still crowded in the bigger meeting rooms! There were 15 countries represented, several for the very first time and over 100 people in attendance. A few of these countries have had Suzuki programs for more…

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Compiled by Caroline Fraser

Guanajuato, Mexico

Etna Diemecke, attended the January 2003 Suzuki International Festival in Lima, Peru, as a scholarship recipient. She returned to Guanajuato, Mexico, determined to organize a similar event there and she did it! Thanks to the seeds already planted by Sandy Reuning and the Ithaca Suzuki Institute, and the generosity of the donors to our Latin American Teachers Scholarship Fund, the 1Sl Suzuki Festival of Guanajuato took place in September, 2003. This was the first such event ever in Mexico.

The festival took place in a very beautiful setting. A key component was the participation of Mr.…

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Caroline Fraser and Roberta Centurion, translators

Despite the economic crisis which Latin America is experiencing, Suzuki programs continue to grow and flourish. Due to this crisis many places have had to cancel plans for offering teacher training courses, while other courses have miraculously taken place. Below you will hear from teachers in Bogota, Colombia; Londrina, Brazil; Cusco, Peru; and Cordoba, Argentina. Congratulations to all the teachers, their families and the people in their communities who have worked with dedication and persistence to help spread Dr Suzuki’s ideals in Latin America.

IV Festival Suzuki de Colombia

A dedicated group of teachers in Colombia…

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The XVI Festival Suzuki, held in Lima, Peru, was a resounding success by all accounts. Teachers, students and parents left the festival full of energy, resolve, and renewed dedication. All were impressed by the spirit of friendship, cooperation and support amongst our local teachers. The Suzuki Association of Peru has now gained a reputation in America Latina and serves as a model for other such Associations.

Blancamaria Montecinos, the President of the Suzuki Association of Chile sent us this message: “I think that this has been the best organized festival I have seen in Peru. The level and above all the…

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From Roberta Centurion, International Representative, Suzuki Association of Peru, SAA Latin American Liaison

More than forty Suzuki Teachers from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, Uruguay and the United States came together for the Second Latin American Suzuki Teachers’ Conference held at the Hotel Exclusive in Lima, Peru, on January 12-14 of this year. The event was organized by Caroline Fraser, Marilyn O’Boyle and Roberta Centurion, Latin American Liaisons to the SAA, and was sponsored by the Association Suzuki of the Americas.

Numerous presenters kindly shared their expertise: Tanya Carey -”Developing Leadership Abilities” and “Working Together Towards a Common…

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Translations by Marcial BF, Roberta Centurion, Grace Carvajal Mulatti

In January of this year, the XVI Suzuki International Festival was held in Lima, Peru. A total of 83 teachers and 204 students attended. Teachers arrived from Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and from various parts of Peru outside of Lima, including Arequipa, Trujillo, Piura, and Cusco. In my Piano IB class alone, there were six countries represented! This was made possible by the financial support we received from the Suzuki Association of the Americas and from the Suzuki teachers of Ohio. The Suzuki Association of Peru was able to…

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