Faculty

Elly Schmidt

Violin, early childhood education

Elly is an accomplished violinist and educator. She has a B.M. in Violin Performance, is a co-founder of the San Diego Suzuki School of Music, trained Suzuki Early Childhood Education Teacher, and along with many enrichment courses in violin technique, music theory (Music Mind Games) and child psychology has completed training in all ten units of Suzuki violin. Performing with various professional orchestras she has shared the stage with notable artists, such as Midori, Zubin Mehta, and Mannheim Steamroller. She has been Orchestra Director at Oak Park Music Conservatory, Beginning Strings Director at the Kadima Conservatory, and a clinician for southern California youth orchestras and Suzuki institutes. Her students have earned top positions in youth symphonies and string competition awards. In addition to Elly's love for teaching, improvisation, and studies in child development and pedagogy, she continues to perform as a freelance artist throughout San Diego.

Marguerite Jayasimha

Violin, Early Childhood Education

Marguerite began her training as a violinist at age five, developing a lifelong love of music. She is a trained Suzuki Early Childhood Education Teacher and Suzuki Violin Teacher, having completed training in Units 1-10. She also has training and experience in Kodaly, Music Mind Games, Creative Ability Development, and enjoys teaching alternative styles and improvisation. She holds an Engineering degree and loves applying science and engineering to Suzuki teaching, from developing bow holds to parent education. Marguerite has performed with the La Jolla Symphony, Redwood Symphony, numerous string quartets and served as asst. conductor of the International Women’s Choir of Singapore. She has served on many Suzuki and cultural performing arts boards. Marguerite loves Indian classical music and plays fusion with her husband, an accomplished Tabla player. She is happy to be back in San Diego at the San Diego Suzuki School of Music, which she co-founded in 2006. She is a former director of the Advanced Suzuki Institute at Stanford and is a current asst. director of the San Diego Suzuki Institute. In addition to teaching at Suzuki Institutes and Workshops, Ms. Jayasimha also enjoys directing middle school orchestra in her local school district. Her passion for directing led her to learn and train up to level 4 Suzuki cello, which she now plays for (lots of) fun.

Jonathan Smith

Violin

Jonathan began his musical studies at the age of 4 in Toledo, OH. He is a registered Suzuki violin teacher, has a B.M. from Otterbein University, and a Masters in Music from Bowling Green State University, where he studied with Vasile Beluska and Ioana Galu. Before joining the SD Suzuki School of Music in 2013, Jonathan enjoyed working with children in a wide range of ages in his private teaching studio, as well as with the Toledo Symphony Suzuki program. He has been working with orchestras in the Ohio and Michigan areas since 2007. He was the Principal 2nd violin in 2011 and the Co-Concertmaster in 2012-2013 of the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan is very excited to be in San Diego continuing his professional teaching and performing career.

Danielle Kravitz

Viola, Violin, Early Childhood Education

Danielle started playing Suzuki violin at the age of four. She began playing viola at age twelve. She attended the University of Evansville as a music scholar where she studied music therapy. Her former teachers include Rebecca Campbell, Carol Dallinger, and Chi-Yuan Chen. She has played in a number of orchestras, including the La Jolla Symphony.

Her past professional writing work includes publications for the Suzuki Music Association of California - San Diego Branch quarterly newsletter, Strings Magazine, and over a dozen published manuals. She successfully runs several blogs including her Suzuki education blog, Rethinking Genius.

Danielle is the Director of San Diego Suzuki Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University. The non-profit institute was founded in 2017. She is a faculty member with the San Diego Suzuki School of Music and has been teaching full time since 2008. Her students have won string competition awards and earn top positions in youth symphonies.

Emily Balderrama

Cello

Emily has been teaching privately for 15 years and began her Suzuki training in 2016. She was drawn to the method with the belief that every child can and that through music studies children can grow immensely. She has completed Suzuki cello training in books 1-10 with Dr. Alice Ann O'Neill, Abbey Hansen and Jean Dexter. Emily is dedicated to continued education and a strong believer in lifelong learning. She holds her Master’s of Music at CSU Fullerton in cello performance where she studied with cellist Bongshin Ko. In addition to Suzuki training, Emily has taken training in the Dalcroze Method and Music Mind Games.

Beyond her passion for teaching cello, she is an avid performer, and has performed solo, orchestral and chamber music in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Luxembourg, South Korea and New York City in addition to Southern California venues. In 2015, Emily made her Carnegie Hall Debut with the CSUF Chamber Orchestra and Choir. Additionally she has had the opportunity to play in the masterclasses of Misha Maiksy, Clive Greensmith, Richard Aaron, and the Kronos Quartet.

FangFang Li

Violin

FangFang was raised in a musical family and began her violin studies at the age of for under the guidance of her father. At 14, she was awarded a full scholarship to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy. She later earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Violin Performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where she also served as graduate teaching assistant to Kurt Sassmannshaus.

FangFang currently teaches at the San Diego Suzuki School of Music, Torrey Pines High School, and Cathedral Catholic High School. She previously served as the Ensembles Administrator for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Prior to relocating to San Diego, FangFang led the Sassmannshaus Tradition program and was a faculty member in violin and chamber music for the Starling Preparatory String Project, a renowned pre-college program at the University of Cincinnati.

In addition to her work as a performer and educator, FangFang is passionate about arts administration and community engagement. She has held leadership roles as Managing Director of the Starling Project Foundation and Associate Dean of the Great Wall International Music Academy. She currently serves on the board of the Northern San Diego branch of the Music Teachers' Association of California and is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Jacob Thompson

Cello

Since his solo debut at age 16 in his hometown of Owensboro, KY, Jacob Thompson has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, Chicago Symphony Center, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, and the Harris Theater in Chicago.

Jacob is an alumni of Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy graduating with Honors. Subsequently, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory Music, a Masters in Cello Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and most recently completed a Performance Diploma from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying with Brandon Vamos of the Grammy Award winning Pacifica Quartet.

Jacob passionately enjoys teaching and is a new faculty member at SDSSM. He is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and received his Suzuki teacher training from Dr. Tanya Carey of Roosevelt University and Trina Carey Hodgson of Pasadena Conservatory.

An active orchestral player, Jacob has held positions with several orchestras across the country, including the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and Evansville Philharmonic, Sinfonia da Camera in Urbana, IL, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has also performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and serves as a substitute for the New World Symphony in Miami, FL.