Suzuki Violinists of Western New York
Eloisa Raffel
Eloisa Raffel began studying the violin at age five through the first Suzuki Method class in her native country of Brazil. Growing up in a musical family, she went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Performance at the Paraná Conservatory of Music and Fine Arts, in her hometown of Curitiba.
In 1997, Eloisa came to the U.S. to pursue her Masters degree in Suzuki Pedagogy and Violin Performance at Texas Christian University. She was a graduate assistant to noted Suzuki instructor and music arranger
In 1999, Eloisa joined the faculty of Buffalo Suzuki Strings. She helped to promote Dr. Suzuki’s motto of “World Harmony Through Music” by organizing a trip to Brazil for the BSS Touring Ensemble, the first time such a group visited the country.
In the year 2000 she received the All American Scholar nomination from the United States Achievement Academy as well as the Suzuki Association of the Americas Margery Aber Scholarship for Teacher Training.
During the years 2001 and 2002, Eloisa received extensive training in Early Childhood Education from the Children’s Talent Education Centre in London, Ontario under the tutelage of Dorothy and
After a long relationship of seven years with the school, in 2006 started her own violin studio “Suzuki Violinists of Western New York” providing violin lessons and Suzuki Early Childhood Education. Eloisa still attends occasional classes in London, Ontario as well Institutes and Conferences around the country to continue her education, in order to help more parents and children achieve their best.
Eloisa taught for five years at the Intermountain Suzuki Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. A member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 1995, she is certified by the Association to teach violin and early childhood education. She also collaborates with the Suzuki Association of the Americas to promote the Suzuki Method in Brazil by sharing her knowledge with teachers and students all over the country. She has attended several Suzuki conferences around United States as well as the Suzuki World Conferences in Ireland and Japan. In 2008 she was also a guest clinician at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference.
Today she runs two very busy studios in the Western New York area. She is also one of the co-founders of the WNY Suzuki Association a much needed addition to the area. Together with other four renowed Suzuki teachers they have been helping promoting Dr. Suzuki’s legacy.
Eloisa is married to Dr. William Raffel, an Associate Professor of Communication at Buffalo State College and host of Saturday Rounds on Classical 94.5 WNED.