Ben Thomason

Mr. Ben is a compassionate and focused teacher, with over 12 years of teaching experience and training in Suzuki Violin in Units 1-10, and Unit 1 again! I’ve recently relocated to central Fort Collins with my family, and will accept new and continuing students of any age.

I grew up in the Boulder, Colorado Suzuki Strings program, studying with renowned Suzuki pedagogue Dr. William Starr and Amy Gesmer-Packman. I earned a B.A. from Whitman College and Master of Music in Violin Performance from California State University, Northridge.

I started teaching Suzuki Violin in Los Angeles with a private studio and at the Cornerstone Music Conservatory as Assistant Director of the Suzuki program. Later I served as Director of the Texas Lutheran University Community Music Academy for three years, a program of over 250 strings and choral students, and continued to teach both a large private studio and a beginning orchestra for the program. I have been a member of the Mid-Texas Symphony, the Santa Monica Symphony, and the Walla Walla Symphony, and will be joining the Fort Collins Symphony on a substitute basis for the ‘22-’23 season.

I’ve also lived in China for 5 years, am fluent in Mandarin, and taught Suzuki violin at Seed Music Academy in Hong Kong.