History / Teaching Faculty |
World renowned teaching faculty of the International Academy of the Suzuki Method
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Koji Toyoda, Director(violin)

Koji Toyoda began his violin study with Shinichi Suzuki at the age of three and a half, and continued his studies at the Conservatoire National Superior in Paris. He later studied with Georges Enesco and Arthur Grumiaux. He received the Bach medal of Harriet Cohen Music Award in London, and also premiums at international competitions in Paris, Geneva and Brussels. From 1962 to 1979 he has served as the first concertmaster of Berlin Radio-Symphony-Orchestra. From 1979 to 2000 he was a professor at the Hochschule der Kunste in Berlin. He was one of the founder and the first music director of the Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy and Festival, and the director of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra. Some of his compositions are published by the Zen-on Music Publishing Co., Japan.
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Toshio Takahashi, flute
 Toshio Takahashi, moved by one of Marcel Moyse's recordings at the age of nineteen, started teaching himself flute. He began performing all over Japan a year later, both as a member of the Ensemble Sonore and as a soloist. He then studied musical expression with Shinichi Suzuki and later left Japan for the United States to study the flute and music intensively under the influences of Morcel Moyse, Pablo Casals and others. After returning to Japan, Mr. Takahashi founded the Suzuki Flute School at Dr. Suzuki's request and since then, the Suzuki Flute School has developed remarkably all over the world. Presently Mr. Takahashi is recognized world wide as an authority on the flute and he has been invited as a guest clinician to the National Flute Association Conferences and other Flute Conferences around the world. His main works include the Suzuki Flute School (7 Volumes, ed.), Dialogues with Moyse, etc.
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Mineo Hayashi, cello
 Mineo Hayashi began his cello study with the Suzuki Method. He later studied with
Hideo Saito at Toho School of Music, and has also graduated from the Geneva Conservatoire with the highest honor. He won the first prize in the Beograd International Cello Competition. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia and the United States. He also performed in a concert celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of Pablo Casals' birth. Celebrating three- hundredth anniversary of J.S. Bach, He had made concert tour throughout Japan, performing all Bach's unaccompanied cello suites in one night.
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Seizo Azuma, piano
 Seizo Azuma began his piano study with the Suzuki Method. He was awarded the first prize in the 52nd Japan Music Competition while he was studying at Tokyo College of Music. He graduated from the Conservatoire National Superior in Paris with honors. He has won the first prizes in many competitions including both the 15th International Piano Competition “E. Possoli” and the 7th International Piano Competitiong Viotti-Valsesiahin Italy. As a soloist and chamber musician, he continues to perform actively. He has made several appearances with major Japanese orchestras including the NHK Symphony Orchestra. He received the Japan Chopin Music Awards. His CDs were released by Epson label(Beethoven:Sonatas, Liszt:favorite pieces).
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