Learn, Play, Perform
Ottawa Suzuki Strings is a music school providing violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice instruction using the Suzuki method. Our experienced faculty have music degrees and are trained in Suzuki pedagogy. Students range from very young “Twinklers” to advanced students in Stellae Boreales.
Ottawa Suzuki Strings is a music school providing violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice instruction using the Suzuki method. Our experienced faculty have music degrees and are trained in Suzuki pedagogy. Students range from very young “Twinklers” to advanced students in Stellae Boreales.
Ottawa Suzuki Strings is a music school providing violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice instruction using the Suzuki method. Our experienced faculty have music degrees and are trained in Suzuki pedagogy. Students range from very young “Twinklers” to advanced students in Stellae Boreales.
Students get a broad and exciting music experience, and some distinguish themselves competing in local and provincial competitions, and have also had the opportunity to perform in other Canadian cities and overseas.
Students get a broad and exciting music experience, and some distinguish themselves competing in local and provincial competitions, and have also had the opportunity to perform in other Canadian cities and overseas.
Students get a broad and exciting music experience, and some distinguish themselves competing in local and provincial competitions, and have also had the opportunity to perform in other Canadian cities and overseas.
Private Lessons, Group Classes, and Performance Opportunities
Facebook Albums
OSS 2019 Summer Camp
21 photos
Cover Photos
1 photos
New OSS Cello & Violin Teachers
22 photos
Choir & Guitar at the LCRC Camp
12 photos
Timeline Photos
62 photos
OSS Camp Concert
3 photos
Tales and Tunes
2 photos
June Playdown
15 photos
Ottawa Children's Festival Concert
18 photos
OSS Masterclass Showcase Recital
13 photos
OSS Suzuki Summer Day Camp
7 photos
OSS Violin 4 at Kiwanis
6 photos
Mobile Uploads
2 photos
OSS Cellist at Kiwanis
3 photos
Fine Tuners at the NAC
16 photos
OSS Guitar Groups at Kiwanis
4 photos
Facebook Posts
The 2019 OSS summer camp was a fantastic success! It was a fun and rewarding week where new friendships were made during the many musical activities, drama, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and eating. One young camper loved it so much that he wants to be the first signed up for next year! A parent commented: “My daughter attended the summer camp and came home every afternoon overflowing with exciting stories about the fun of her day. We very impressed with the quality of the program and all the staff and volunteers.” The 2020 OSS summer camp will be August 10-14 at Rideau Park United Church. Save the date!
OSS is pleased to welcome two wonderful teachers to its faculty: Desiree Abbey, cello, and Essie Liu, violin. Desiree and Essie bring a wealth of experience and passion for teaching to OSS. Their marvelous way with children was evident during recent OSS mini concerts and instrument play stations at the Kanata Beaverbrook and Main branches of the Ottawa Public Library. Audiences were treated to a concert by OSS students and teachers followed by the opportunity for children to have a hands-on experience trying violin, cello and guitar under the expert guidance of our teachers. There are still spots available at OSS for violin, cello and guitar. For information on registering, please contact admin@ottawasuzukistrings.ca. Photos and bios of OSS faculty members can be found at ottawasuzukistrings.ca/faculty/
With the support of the Ottawa Community Foundation grant, OSS was able to offer choir and guitar programs at the Lowertown Community Resource Centre’s summer camp for two weeks in July. The children had this wonderful opportunity to learn about singing, playing the guitar, music in general and working together as a team. They worked very hard to prepare for the camp concert. Their performances were wonderful and greatly enjoyed by all who attended.
Faculty Meeting at Elaine Klimasko’s fabulous home today! We ate and ate... oh yes, and worked too!
Friday August 16, 3:00pm,
Rideau Park United Church,
Free admission,
Reception to follow concert.
Come and hear the wonderful results at the Friday OSS camp concert of all the groups at the OSS camp led by the dedicated teachers, counselors, volunteers and staff. The children have been participating in all camp activities with great enthusiasm. What is the OSS camp like? A 6-year-old camper summed it up in one word: “PERFECT”!
With the support of a grant from the Ottawa Community Foundation, OSS has the opportunity to bring music to many in the local community this summer. On July 6, we were thrilled to be part of the Ottawa Public Library’s amazing event “Tales and Tunes: Family Fun Day at the Library” at Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe. OSS students performed a mini concert which was followed by an instrument play station, giving children in the audience a hands-on experience trying violin, cello and guitar under the expert guidance of OSS teachers. It was a great success!
Stellae Boreales was honoured to perform at the great historical event of the unveiling of the new Canadensis Sun Shelter. Audience members were delighted to hear Stellae Boreales in the beautiful outdoor setting. After delicious strawberry shortcake was served, members of Stellae Boreales put down their violins and joined voices in an impromptu collaboration with members of the wonderful Barbershop Quartet also performing at the event.
www.glebereport.ca/canadensis-to-unveil-new-sun-shelter/
Our amazing and talented kids that we are all so proud of!
The Fine Tuners junior violin performance group recently had a fiddle workshop with fiddler Emilia Bartellas, one of Newfoundland's finest traditional players. Fine Tuners coach, Jerry Csaba, had nothing but praise for this experience. "The fiddle workshop turned out to be a wonderful experience. Emilia is an experienced teacher with an abundance of warmth and friendliness. Her expertise is in original tunes from Newfoundland and we learned three different types of songs. Learning by ear for each tune proved to be challenging for all and with the addition of various ornaments, drones and styles, even more so. She was very patient with us in our attempts so we learned and had a lot of fun in the process. We spent some of the time learning about the various styles on the island and some of the people who originated these styles. This allowed us to rest while learning something new, as the workshop involved a lot of actual playing. As the oldest player in the group, I appreciated those little moments of respite to give my brain a rest.
I was extremely pleased to find that the players in Fine Tuners responded so well to the whole experience and that there was much exchange between student and teacher. I think we all left with a happy satisfaction in what we had achieved and a new sense of humility in rediscovering just how demanding it is to excel in all of the art forms connected to music." Jerry Csaba
Here's what the participants from Fine Tuners had to say:
"I think that it was fun and it was nice to learn something new."
"I found it really interesting and fun. The teacher was amazing and it was a great experience!"
"I really enjoyed learning different fiddle ornaments and trying different pieces from different cultures. The teacher was very nice and knew what she was teaching. Overall, amazing experience!"
"The workshop was very entertaining, yet challenging. It is definitely fun to learn a new style of playing!"
OSS wrapped up the year with a wonderful Playdown June 3 at Woodroffe United Church.
Many OSS students graced the 100 Watt Earth Stage at the Ottawa Children’s Festival on Saturday May 11. Special thanks to Kristina Watt for her vision in creating this fantastic performance opportunity for youth in the National Capital Region to share their artistry with audiences of so many ages.
Ottawa Suzuki Strings was fortunate to receive a grant from the City of Ottawa to support OSS’ Masterclass & Workshop Series which took place January to March of this year. It was of great benefit to have both teachers from OSS and other master teachers in the community lead the masterclasses. Students from many different private studios in the community participated, learning so much from playing and listening to each other in the masterclass setting. The performers in the Masterclass Showcase Recital, held May 5 at Trinity United Church, were recommended by their masterclass leaders and performed a beautiful recital to wrap up this very successful series. The excellent venues for the series included the U of O Freiman Hall and the NAC Atelier. One of the masterclasses was held at a seniors’ retirement residence. About 40 residents attended. It was a new experience for most of them and they were absolutely enthralled! They all stayed for the whole masterclass, were so engaged and had many questions. Their final question was “When are you coming back?!” OSS certainly hopes to be able to offer such a series again.
Stellae Boreales brought joy to the residents of Garry J. Armstrong, sharing their varied and exciting program with a very receptive and enthusiastic audience!
Still looking for a summer camp? Spend a week making music with Ottawa Suzuki Strings August 12-16, 2019, at Rideau Park United Church. Beginners welcome (4-8 years old)! Our Introduction to Strings program provides violins, violas, cellos, and guitars to new students. All Suzuki students (4-14 years old) will enjoy group classes, masterclasses, and ensembles! Contact us to register your child for a fun and enriching week of instrumental music, choir, drama, and summer activities with friends! Register soon!
Submit your registration form to admin@ottawasuzukistrings.ca
ottawasuzukistrings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-Summer-Camp-Brochure.pdf
ottawasuzukistrings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-Summer-Camp-Registration-Form.pdf
This past March break, the Stellae Boreales violin ensemble travelled to New York City for our annual violin performance tour. As soon as we reached our hotel, we knew it would be a trip to remember when a luggage-storing robot greeted us at the entrance. Not only was the view from our 26th story hotel room breathtaking, but our hotel was only a couple of blocks away from the famous Times Square.
Over the 5 days that we were in New York City, we had the opportunity to perform three concerts around the city. Our first concert took place in Laguardia High School for the Performing Arts, where we and one of their orchestras performed for each other, answering each others’ questions afterwards. It was very interesting to hear about what the life of an arts student in New York was like. Some of the students commuted over an hour on the subway to get to school! Next, we performed in the School for Strings in downtown New York, where we got to hear some of their chamber music and rehearse the Bach Double together. Lastly, we performed at the St. John’s in the Village Anglican Church, where we got to perform with an organ instead of a piano, which was a very fun and interesting experience!
Aside from practicing and performing, we got a lot of free time in the city to go sightseeing. We went on a boat ride around New York Harbour, where we saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty from the water! While some went to go see musicals on the legendary Broadway, some of us even went to the Juilliard School and saw two incredible performances of a pre-college pianist and violinist. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that it was an amazing trip, where we went to the MET, the New York Museum of Natural History and, most importantly, some of us had our first meal at a Chipotle. All in all, our trip to New York was a great experience, one that I’m sure I’ll never forget.
Sarah Williams' Violin 4 group class, accompanied by pianist Judith Ginsburg, gave a splendid performance of Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in A minor, first movement, at the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Way to go OSS students at today's 🎶 Kiwanis Music Festival 🎻 !! Here are a couple of pictures from Jean-Hee Lee's books 2-3 group classes. Great performances by all.
Congratulations❤️
An OSS cello student played beautifully in his 2 solo Kiwanis Music Festival classes. He enjoyed his first experience playing in Kiwanis and definitely wants to perform again next year in Kiwanis!
The Fine Tuners violin performance ensemble played a wonderful pre-KinderNACO concert at the NAC after which many young children had the opportunity to have a hands on experience trying the violin under expert guidance at the violin play station.
Wonderful photos and event!
"Congratulations to our Guitar Book 2/3 class and our Guitar Performance Group for their excellent performances at the Kiwanis Music Festival on Saturday! Both ensembles received gold stars for their playing!"
Great teacher and great students! CONGRATULATIONS💐
Please contact the school administrator who can put you in touch with one of our faculty, or click here to register.
For enquiries please call the school administrator on 613 369 4376
Registered Charity Number: 84838 8252 RR0001
© 2018 Ottawa Suzuki Strings
Ottawa Suzuki Strings gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa
