Lynne Oliverius

Lynne Oliverius
Development Director-Arts Focus
Grant Writer
Cello, Violin and Piano teacher

Lynne has a deep commitment to the Suzuki method as is evidenced in her 40 years of joyfully raising up musicians of all ages.  She currently maintains a studio of 35 students, directs two orchestras at the local Waldorf School and performs with her group Encore Strings as well as in area orchestras.

Experienced as a non-profit development director and grant writer, Lynne has guided organizations in their quest to build stronger connections with community, advance awareness and create funding streams.  She has led boards through transitional times as well as times of stability and managed growth and been the “feet on the ground” person in the area of development, ready with ideas and the will to see them implemented while working in concert with others to complete the task.

Lynne served as the development director for these organizations on the central coast of California—Civic Ballet, Canzona Vocal Ensemble and the Youth Arts Foundation. In Illinois she founded and directed development in her three Suzuki music schools (300 students per week and 8 staff) and the youth symphony as well as procuring grants for several elementary schools.  Her grant writing has secured funding for arts organizations through the following successful grants—Fender Music Foundation, PRG Corporation-Los Angeles, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Central Coast Wine Classic, Windward Winery, Central Coast Funds for Children, Loews, Wal-Mart, Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Midwest Fine Arts Grants, Target, Illinois Power, matching grants and servant grants.  She was the director of the Sylvan Learning Center, Peru, Il and secured grants for the reading and testing programs.  Board appointments have included president of Symphony of the Vines, leading them from steering committee to complete 501c3, CASA vice president (court appointed special advocates), United Way, Carnegie Library Board and Canzona Ensemble.  She chaired the vendor booths and displays at the 1992 SAA National Conference recruiting, contracting and organizing the participants.

Lynne has been involved with the Suzuki movement since its inception here in the United States. The Talent Education tour group from Japan came to Pekin, Illinois in 1976 when she was in high school and several performers and chaperones stayed in the family home. She attended workshops with Bill Starr and John Kendall and was the first teacher trained in a 4 year program at Western Illinois University under Dr. Tanya Carey and Almita Vamos.  Lynne served as assistant to Dr. Carey and traveled to Germany for the International Conference to work with Dr. Suzuki and Vaclav Adamira.

In the initial Suzuki organizational years she wrote articles for the SAA journals and documents on business practices for the teacher trainer packets.  She was a workshop clinician and a speaker at SAA conferences and named a Shar Distinguished Young Teacher and Business and Professional Women’s Organization Young Careerist.

Her education includes a Masters of Arts Leadership 2008 from the University of Illinois, Springfield, IL, and a Bachelor of Arts Liberal Arts and Sciences, Music Education Business 1981 from Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. 

Lynne has honored the rich history of the Suzuki Association of the Americas from its beginning in the United States and is so proud to have been an active participant. She anticipates a time of renewed energy and unique creative growth as we strive to send our message of good hearts and kind people throughout the world.  Music and our instruments are the vehicles we use to convey this message and we have so much to share with others.

She is highly honored to be appointed to the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Americas for a 3 year term and will continually work to enrich the lives of our members, students, families and those that are yet to be welcomed into our Suzuki world.