Honorary Board

Jeanne Baxtresser had been Principal Flute with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for three seasons when I was chosen to be in her first class of students at McGill University. Even though she was only a few years older than us, we were all in awe of her! And although I now consider her my friend and colleague, I have never lost the wonder I first felt listening to her beautiful tone and expressive playing.

I learned many things from Jeanne, both tangible and intangible. She played a lot in my lessons, and I can still hear…

Read more of Interview with Jeanne Baxtresser »

*Martin Beaver, one of the more recent additions to the SAA Honorary Board, is a Canadian, who studied violin with Victor Danchenko in Toronto and later with Josef Gingold in Indiana and also Henryk Szeryng. After winning many awards and distinctions, including a Silver Medal (1993) at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, Martin served on the faculties of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the University of British Columbia before joining the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.…

Read more of Interview with Martin Beaver »

The Honorable Senator Robert F. Bennet with his daughter, Julie Newton, and Joyce, his wife.

What projects are you involved with at the moment?

As a U.S. Senator I am currently involved in health care, issues of free trade, and other matters in the political arena. I have no current music projects with which I am involved; however I am a member of the National Council of the Arts, appointed as a result of my activities on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts. I am a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and as such have been involved in funding the National Endowment for the Arts ever since I came to the Senate in 1993.

Read more of Interview with Senator Robert F. Bennett »

Photo by Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of the Cleveland Orchestra

At the time that the new Suzuki violin recordings appeared on our Suzuki stage, Domenic Salerni, a student of William Preucil, Jr. at the Cleveland Institute of Music, was asked by the SAA Board to interview Mr. Preucil, the recording artist. Mr. Preucil, Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchesta, is also a member of the SAA Honorary Board, which in fact was the original reason to conduct the interview. SAA has been conducting interviews with all members of the Honorary Board; our readers have no doubt enjoyed coming to know these extraordinary individuals who support Dr. Suzuki’s legacy.

Read more of Interview with William Preucil, Jr. »

The Board of the SAA is pleased to announce that Jeanne Baxtresser, flutist, has accepted to serve on its Honorary Board. Principal flutist of three major orchestras including the Montreal Symphony and Toronto Symphony, Ms. Baxtresser’s orchestral career culminated with 15 years as principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic, under conductors Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur.

Read more of New SAA Honorary Board Member: Jeanne Baxtresser »

Photo by Christian Steiner

Annie Fullard, Violin
Mari Sato, Violin
Kirsten Docter, Viola
Merry Peckham, Cello

It was a pleasure to interview the Cavani String Quartet for the SAA Board’s series “Meet Our Honorary Board Members.” We had an engaging hour filled with intellectual conversation, passion towards music and music education, as well as tons of laughter. This is a quartet that lives its craft in all aspects of life. The Sato Center for Suzuki Studies at CIM is proud to have their children enrolled in our program. Their enthusiasm for music and its impact on the world energizes all of us as we continue our daily routines of changing the world through music. I feel a renewed energy for my mission as I write this interview. I hope that you will feel the same.

Read more of Meet the Cavani Quartet »

Photo by Katie Coneary

What is your background with guitar? How old were you when you started and what attracted you to it?

It was the Beatles! I remember when I first heard “I Saw Her Standing There” it just hit me like a bolt of lightening! Love at first sight, once I saw a guitar, I just knew I had to have one. I was nine years old, and I started out playing a steel string guitar made of plywood. The action was really high, and I remember playing ‘til my fingers were bleeding.

Read more of Benjamin Verdery: Master Guitarist, Teacher, and Composer »

Brian Ganz won the appreciation of all piano participants at the SAA Conference in 2006 in Minneapolis. Brian was the masterclass clinician for the 2006 Conference and presented a lecture recital on the Preludes of Chopin.

Read more of Introducing Brian Ganz »

Dr. James Garbarino, Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University in Chicago, brings a history of concern for children to the SAA Honorary Board.

Read more of Introducing Dr. James Garbarino »

What projects are you involved with at the moment?

At the moment I am actively involved guest conducting, soloing, playing chamber music, teaching, and just enjoying music as much as ever being an amateur in the very best sense of the word.

Read more of Introducing Joseph Silverstein »

What projects are you involved with at the moment?

I am currently recording two new CDs. The target date for the release of the first one is the first of September with, hopefully, the second one to follow soon thereafter. I am very excited about the music on both CDs and have been planning for both for quite some time. We are also making plans for our upcoming Christmas show which is a spectacular production.

Read more of Introducing Entertainer Shoji Tabuchi »

It is a pleasure to introduce Honorary Board Member, Roger H. Sublett, Ph.D., fifth President of Union Institute & University, the first university without walls, created in 1964. The Institute, originating from a ten university consortium, now has over 18,000 graduates world-wide and offers seminars and online learning with a focus on adult learners.

Read more of Introducing Dr. Roger Sublett »

It is with great pleasure that I introduce SAA Honorary Board member Dr. Richard K. Miller, founding president of Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, MA. A former Suzuki parent, Dr. Miller has incorporated many aspects of the Suzuki philosophy into the studies and daily life at Olin College.

Read more of Introducing Dr. Richard K. Miller »

It is my pleasure to introduce new SAA Honorary Board member, Jung-Ho Pak. One of the most able and flexible conductors of his generation, Jung-Ho is a passionate advocate for reinvigorating classical musical audiences of all ages, and he works miracles inspiring young musicians to play in orchestra with both discipline and love.

Read more of Interview with Jung-Ho Pak »

Please take a look at the new Honorary Board list. We are pleased and honored to have added seven new members to the Honorary Board thus far this year. Beginning with this issue of the ASJ, the SAA Board is featuring interviews of the Honorary Board members, so that everyone can get to know those who are lending their names and support to the Suzuki Association and Suzuki education.