40 Years of the Suzuki Piano School in Brazil

Abstract

This paper discusses the arrival and expansion of the Suzuki Piano School (SPS) in Brazil. To this end, research was carried out on the topic, in which data were collected in semi-structured interviews, data provided by the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) and by course organizers in Brazil. It was found that 2022 marks 40 years since the arrival of the SPS in Brazil. The first experiences of applying SPS in Brazil began in 1982 through the work of piano teacher Maria Elena Withers Pessoa. The importance of the International Suzuki Festival in Peru for the training of Brazilian teachers was noted, especially when the provision of courses was rare in Brazil. The third, and most recent, expansion phase of the SPS has been taking place since 2016, as a result of the recurring visit to Brazil by Peruvian teacher trainer Flor Canelo. The research data also indicates that the Suzuki Piano Community is growing in Brazil, but there is still room for expansion, as the majority of teachers are concentrated in the South and Southeast regions, having only completed the first stage of training. Finally, the data highlighted the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the modality and intensity of SPS course offerings in Brazil, motivating the creation of other types of Suzuki events and integrating Suzuki teachers and students from different Brazilian regions.