Dr. Evelyn Osborne

Dr. Evelyn Osborne is a dedicated Suzuki teacher. Dr. Osborne has been teaching violin/fiddle for over 25 years. She has also taught and performed internationally. Evelyn values the sense of community developed by the Suzuki philosophy and believes deeply that it takes a village to raise a child. She has seen and experienced first hand how a Suzuki musical community can truly develop beautiful musicians and noble hearts.

A Suzuki student herself, Dr. Osborne has made her pursuit of Suzuki training, teaching and education a life-long adventure. Osborne has completed long-term graduate-level training with Teri Einfeldt (USA, Bks 1-8) and short-term training with Helen Brunner (UK; ECC, Bks1, 3, 6), Alice Joy Lewis (US; Bk2), Karen-Michelle Kimmett (CAN; ECC, Bk1), Mark Mutter (US; WLID Asia) and David Madsen (US; SPA). Evelyn studied Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Levels 1 and 2 with Dorothy and Sharon Jones (CAN), Level 3 with Danette Schuh, and founded the SECE program in Newfoundland, Canada. In 2013 she was awarded the SAA’s Teacher Training Scholarship to continue her SECE studies. In 2018, Evelyn completed Music Together training in Tokyo. In 2020-21, Osborne is excited to be continuing her professional development with training in Creative Ability Development with Laura Nerenberg (CAN), and as a mentee in Pat d’Ecrole’s (USA) Suzuki Strings Mentoring Program.

Dr. Osborne is the owner/director of the Fiddlehead Folklore Institute (FFIL) in Hong Kong. FFIL will offer the unique Musical Village Program combining Suzuki method with Creative Ability Development and cultural education to create a multicultural education grounded not only in skill but the human experience. Evelyn relocated to Hong Kong from Canada in 2015 to take up the position of Founding Executive Director of the Hong Kong Suzuki Music Institute and envisioned and built that school from zero to 90 families and 5 professional teachers. Osborne joined the violin faculty of the Newfoundland-based Suzuki Talent Education Program (STEP) in 2004 and taught at the Atlantic Canada Suzuki Institute (ACSI) for 10 years. She has served as the Artistic Director of STEP (2006-2009) and Institute Director ACSI (2011, 2013-2015). From 1993 to 2003, Osborne maintained her own independent studios in Ottawa, Ontario and Chelsea, Quebec, and taught at adult fiddle classes Algonquin College (1997-2002).

Evelyn is both a violinist and fiddler and has given Newfoundland fiddle and dance workshops on four continents. Osborne has also performed with various ensembles and groups including the Terra Nova String Quartet (2011-2015), Spirit of Newfoundland Productions (2006-2015), and the Abracadabra Magic Theatre Company (2006-2009). She loves to cross artistic genres and has performed with circus artists, magicians, belly dancers, story tellers as well as various musical genres (improvisation, rock, indie folk, traditional fiddle and dance music, Celtic music, singer-songwriters, and modern classical). One of her favourite musical activities is to play for folk dancers. As an ethnomusicologist, Osborne is deeply curious about all types of music found around the world.

Dr. Osborne holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology; a Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies/Ethnomusicology; and a Bachelor of Music in Violin.