Elspeth Durward

Elspeth Durward was Assistant Principal Second of the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony (2006-2023). Since 2005, she has been a faculty member of the Suzuki String School of Guelph where teaches private and group classes to students of all ages and abilities. She holds a B.Mus. (Violin Performance) from the University of Toronto and a M.Mus. (Violin Performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy) from the Hartt School of Music.

Prior to returning to Canada, Elspeth was a Fellow with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Highlights of her time with the NWS include residencies with MTT at Rome’s National Academy of Saint Cecilia and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

As an orchestra performer, Elspeth has also appeared with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Britt Festival Orchestra, the Elora Festival Orchestra, Spoleto USA, and the Toronto Symphony. She has been featured in concert with the Emerson String Quartet and particpated in masterclasses and performances at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France.

A firm believer that Every Child Can, Elspeth completed long-term Suzuki Teacher Training with Linda Fiore at Hartt. In addition to her work with the SSSG she has also taught at the Southern Ontario Suzuki Institute and various workshops in Ontario. She completed a Violin Practicum at the Chicago Suzuki Institute with Teri Einfeldt (2010) and Book 9/10 with Tom Wermuth (2021).

She lives in Guelph, Ontario.