Ms. Hisami Iijima 

Raised with the Suzuki Method in Japan from age of three, Ms. Hisami Iijima has over 30 years of teaching experience to her students. She has taught extensively both privately and at leading music institutions across New York, New Orleans, and Phoenix, where she most recently served on the faculty at the Arizona School for the Arts.


Teaching & Community Engagement
A passionate advocate for music education, Ms. Iijima has led numerous impactful community initiatives:

  • The One Nation Program: Seved as a violin instructor for this collaborative initiative between The Phoenix Symphony and the Salf River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, providing private lessons, group classes, and performances for elementary and high school students.
  • Orchestral Coaching: Coached high school orchestras in the Paradise Valley School District through an outreach program with Paradise Valley Community College.

Student Achievement
As a dedicated Suzuki teacher, Ms. Iijima inspries her students to reach exceptional technical and artistic standards. Her students regularly achieve top honors, including:
  • Concertmaster and principal chair positions in the Phoenix Youth Symphony, Metropolitan Youth Symphony,, and West Valley Youth Symphony.
  • High rankings and placements in Arizona All-State and Regional Orchestras.

Performance Highlights
An accomplished soloist and orchestra musician, Ms. Iijima's performance credentials include:
  • Carnegie Hall Debut: Performed a solo debut recital at Weill Recital Hall after winning the prestigious Artist Insternation Audtion.
  • Featured Soloist: Featured with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago at the Spoleto Festival USA.
  • Orchestraal Positions: Held tenured positions with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Harrisbuerg Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Arizona Opera Orchestra, and West Valley Symphony (including roles as Concertmaster and Associate Concertmaster). She also performs regularly with The Phoenix Symphony.

Education & Training
  • Academic Degrees: Degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and the State University of New York; pursued Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) studies at Rutgers Univeristy.
  • Suzuki Teacher Training: Completed registered training with distinguished pedagogues including Mark Bjork, orraine Fink, Linda Fiore, Michelle Higa George, Mary Cay Neal, and Doris Preucil. 
  • Professional Affiliations: Active member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), and the Arizona Suzuki Association (ASA), where she previously served on the Board of Directors.