Resources > Workshops, Institutes and Festivals

The Edmonton Suzuki Piano School hosts an annual Fall Institute and a Spring Festival. Guest teachers and musicians are invited from outside of Edmonton to conduct master class sessions for students and parents.

Suzuki Summer Institutes

The summer institutes are one of the very best things about the Suzuki method. They are invariably a time of wonderful enrichment: musical, social and spiritual. They are as beneficial for parents as they are for students and teachers.

Institutes are summer music camps held for one week in various locations throughout Canada and the USA. Daily master class lessons are the centre of the week-long event.

The students have the opportunity to learn from master teachers who have different styles and personalities from their regular teacher. The students hear sometimes the same instruction but often with new insights or suggestions from another's perspective.

The daily lessons offer the chance for the student, parent and master teacher to get to know each other. There is time for the master teacher to really get to know a child and to tailor his comments, and offer practice ideas, inspiring insights, new and original motivating ideas.

In addition to the daily master class, the schedule is packed full of other activities which usually include recitals and ensemble or chamber music classes. It can include choral classes, dance or movement, drama, composition, or improvisation. And there are usually special lectures and discussion times for parents. Often, there are social events such as pot luck suppers or barbeques, swimming, trips to the zoo, etc. where the focus is off music for a time and everyone can get to know each other and share stories in a fun and relaxing setting.

The time flies at an Institute because it is very busy and intense. But there is great fun, wonderful music and much laughter. Parents and children alike make great new friends easily because there is so much everyone in the Suzuki community has in common.

It takes some planning and budgeting of time and money to attend a Summer Institute. But it involves only four or five days of the summer and the benefits rebound for months. It costs money but it is worth a fortune in encouragement, inspiration and motivation for both parent and child.

You can find Suzuki Summer Institutes throughout North America from the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

For a list of our current workshops, institutes or festivals, please see our calendar.