Atlanta Suzuki Violin

Wow! What an incredible inspiration Helen Brunner is (she's the beautiful lady in the very back).

Atlanta Suzuki Institute The 2023 Atlanta Suzuki Institute will be held at the University of Georgia in Athens! Student programs will be held Wednesday, June 21-Sunday, June 25. Online and in-person teacher training will be available from June 19-25.

🎻 Faculty Spotlight: Eugenio Figueroa 🎻

Meet Eugenio Figueroa, a dedicated educator and accomplished musician who brings a wealth of experience to his teaching!

Eugenio is a registered Suzuki teacher in Violin, Viola, and Piano through the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He currently serves on the faculty at The Hartt Community Division and maintains a private studio in Windsor, Connecticut.

A passionate violist, Eugenio is a doctoral candidate in Viola Performance at The Hartt School under the mentorship of Rita Porfiris. He is a member of the Azul Quartet and has performed with the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra (HICO) and as a section violist with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as a rotating principal with The Hartt School Symphony Orchestra.

Eugenio’s commitment to the Suzuki philosophy led him to Connecticut, where he completed a Master’s degree in Viola Performance with a Suzuki Pedagogy Emphasis under Teri Einfeldt. Prior to this, he earned a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. During his time in Puerto Rico, he taught at the Pre-College Division and at Puerto Rico first ever Suzuki school, Kids and Musik.

His performance highlights include playing with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Bayamón, the Orquesta Filarmónica Arturo Somohano, and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Santo Domingo. In 2015, he traveled to Iceland with the contemporary chamber ensemble “Foot in the Door.”

In addition to his work as a performer, Eugenio finds joy in accompanying his students on the piano and sharing his love of chamber music and orchestral performance.

Welcome back, Derek, to ASI 2025!

🎻 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Derek Deakins 🎻

Meet Dr. Derek Deakins, a versatile violinist, fiddler, guitarist, banjoist, and National Board Certified teacher from Kingsport, Tennessee!

Dr. Derek Deakins is a professional musician whose journey began with Suzuki violin lessons and has taken him to stages around the world. He has performed with renowned artists, including Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and The Osborne Brothers. A graduate of Belmont University with a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education, Derek also holds a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting and a Doctorate in Music Education, where his research focused on blending Suzuki instruction with bluegrass fiddle pedagogy.

Derek regularly performs with the Gravel Road Bluegrass Band and works as a teaching artist and multi-instrumentalist for Walt Disney World. He recently played fiddle on the #1 bluegrass single, Forever Young, featuring Dolly Parton. A two-time Coastal Carolina Fair Fiddle Champion, Derek enjoys making music with his wife, Lisa, and their son, Kirby, and takes pride in his experiences as a Suzuki student, teacher, and parent.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween! 👻🎶🎃
How have you and your students been celebrating?

📸: Photo from Atlanta Suzuki Violin featuring a student from Virginia Sloan’s studio

End of the year Recital and celebration. So proud!

Excited!!!!

Registration is OPEN for 2024 Atlanta Suzuki Institute student programs! Visit atlantasuzuki.org for all the details and registration forms. We hope to see you in June in Athens for another inspiring week of music and community!

Haala, Philip, Ella and Chloe at our Spring performance at Peachtree Hills Place. So proud of all of these young violinists (oh, and one violist)!

Along with a bottle of champagne, my students, who are brothers, brought this sweet note to their last lesson. I have the best students!