Mrs. Phyllis C. Calderon

Mrs. Phyllis Calderon is a teacher-performer of violin and owner of A Touch of Classical Plus (ATCP), a provider of Suzuki-based instruction and in-depth coaching resources so that students are equipped to perform on their instrument and in life confidently.

We provide instrument instruction in violin, piano, viola, cello, and early childhood music and supplement parent education workshops.

Mrs. Phyllis began piano instruction with her mother at a young age and implemented violin at age 9 with Prof. Marc Zinger. After several youth orchestral experiences with the Chicago Youth Symphony and All-City Orchestra and graduating from the MERIT Music Program (1986). She continued performing with the CIVIC Orchestra of Chicago, and a tour to China and Japan with the Classical Symphony Orchestra, while studying with Joseph Glymph.

Her love for teaching came about accidentally. She received Suzuki training in 2000 with Michele Higa-George at the Music Institute of Chicago and in 2004 with Mimi Zweig and Rebecca Henry at Indiana University.

As a teacher and business owner, Mrs. Phyllis coordinates events, instructs classes, and manages three teachers in her home-based studio. Located in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, ATCP offers Suzuki violin, viola, cello, piano lessons, early childhood music classes (toddler to 5 years), and a youth preparatory ensemble intermediate-advanced string students. As a teacher, she has coached a class of string beginners at Providence St. Mel HS, WISH-Chicago West Community Music Center, Apostolic Church of God Youth Music Program, and the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute. She also conducted the Intermediate Orchestra with the Hyde Park Youth Symphony and assisted the orchestra director at Emerson Visual and Performance Arts HS in Gary, IN.

Mrs. Phyllis is all about partnerships and has implemented programming in several elementary schools and home school groups and a partnership with Chicago Public Schools.

As a performer, she has played with the Whiting Festival Orchestra, in Whiting, IN; as part of a string orchestra for Barry White, Nancy Wilson, and Jerry Butler; and with Christian artists, Jerome Collins and Tina J. Crawley, and contributed her talents to the recording projects of Kym Franklin (”Let the Beauty Be”) and Grammy-nominated Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. She also appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and alongside tap dancer sensation Bril Barrett of M.A.D.D. Rhythms for their 5th production of M.A.D.D. Rhythms: Unplugged, in tap dance and violin duet of classical and hip-hop music.

Mrs. Phyllis is a certified life coach and mentor and holds degrees from the American Conservatory of Music and Liberty University. She is married to Christian, who has the eye and ear of a producer, and has one son, Christopher, an accomplished worship artist, songwriter, composer, producer, and all-around musician.