Susan Gagnon is a registered teacher trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, giving courses in Canada and the USA. She is also a core member of the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory of Music, teaching cellists and coaching string quartets.

 

Ms. Gagnon holds a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours in Performance from the University of Western Ontario.  She studied with Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and attended master classes at the Banff School of Fine Arts with Janos Starker and Aldo Parisot.

 

Susan teaches all levels and ages. She is in demand as a cello workshop and masterclass presenter. She is a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association and has adjudicated festivals across Canada.

 

Susan played per service with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra from 1983-2023. She enjoys performing chamber music and has been a member of String Quartet Panache, the Toronto Arts Trio, and the Chrysalis Piano Quartet.

 

Several of the quartets that Susan has coached have won Provincial Finals, CMC finals and been awarded the SOCMI scholarship to participate in events at the Banff String Quartet competition. Susan has been a regular faculty member at Music at Port Milford, an international summer music camp that teaches chamber music to teens, since 1995.

 

Susan Gagnon has been an examiner for the RCM since 1995, compiled the 1995, 2007 and 2013 Cello Syllabi as well as the 2013 repertoire books for the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program.  Ms. Gagnon is also a Certified Teacher with the RCM Teacher Certification program.