Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute 2026

The Pierre Gagnon Viola Bursary Fund is a memorial fund established to honour violist and Suzuki teacher Pierre‑Yves Gagnon and his lifelong dedication to nurturing young string players, particularly violists. Created in the wake of his passing, the fund directs donations toward scholarship support for emerging violists, helping them access high‑quality instruction and develop their artistic potential. Inspired by Gagnon’s decades of teaching and his leadership in building Suzuki violin and viola programs in Ontario, the bursary reflects his belief that every motivated student should have the opportunity to study, perform, and grow, regardless of financial circumstance. By contributing to this fund, donors help sustain his legacy in the studio and on stage, ensuring that future generations of young musicians continue to benefit from the kind of encouragement, mentorship, and musical excellence that defined his career.

In honour of Pierre’s interest in expanding Suzuki materials in French and offering teaching opportunities in French for teacher development and learning, French-speaking students are encouraged to apply.

En l’honneur de l’intérêt de Pierre pour l’expansion du matériel Suzuki en français et pour la création d’occasions d’enseignement en français visant le perfectionnement et l’apprentissage des enseignants, les étudiants francophones sont encouragés à poser leur candidature.

Available for Students & Teacher Workshop Participants

For further information, please contact Tracy Jewell at [email protected].

There is a giant hole in the Suzuki universe created by the passing of Daphne Hughes in July 2023.

Daphne co-founded the Suzuki String School of Guelph. With a committee of the SSSG, Daphne inspired the creation of the Guelph Suzuki Institute (GSI) in 1983, now known as the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute, and was the director for many years.

She was always looking for strong potential candidates to become Suzuki teachers. She became a mentor to hundreds of musicians who followed in her footsteps. Daphne also kept developing her own teaching, going to summer Suzuki institutes in the USA in the late 70s and to Japan in 1984 to study with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Over the years, many of her students won awards and became professional musicians and teachers. However, her priority was always to support students in developing their character and sensitivity. In 1998, Daphne was given the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) and was instrumental in the development of two of their training courses. Daphne was on the Board of Directors of the SAA from 2002 to 2004. She was a frequent contributor to the American Suzuki Journal and also edited its Violin Column.

The Daphne Hughes Memorial Fund will offer financial help to the new generation of Suzuki teachers who take Teacher Development through SOSI.

For further information, please contact Tracy Jewell at [email protected].

It was with great sadness that we learned of the unexpected death of Taryn Diane Chaykowski on March 11, 2023 from complications of breast cancer. Taryn came to SOSI as a student, did teacher training with us, and, as a teacher, brought many of her students each year.

Taryn was a graduate of the Laurier music program. She was President of the local branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association. She played violin and viola with many professional groups over the years, but her greatest wish was to have her own studio in order to pass her love of music on to her students. Twinkle Strings Suzuki School and its families were the fulfilment of that dream.

In consultation with her parents and some of her student families, we have established two memorial bursary funds in her name—one for students and another for teachers taking Suzuki training at SOSI.