Katsuko (“Kay”) Tsuji

Suzuki Piano

Osaka, Japan

Katsuko (“Kay”) Tsuji is a leading instructor of Suzuki piano pedagogy. Ms. Tsuji was born into a musical family and started her early music training at age 3 at the Yamaha and Suzuki music schools. Her musical passion extended not only to classical music but also Jazz and Latin. Ms. Tsuji earned her bachelor’s degree in music from Osaka College of Music and her master’s degree in music from Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School, with additional studies at the Aspen Music School, Yamaha Music School, and Suzuki talent education in Japan.

As a Suzuki teacher, Ms. Tsuji studied pedagogy with Cathy Hagrave, Jane Reede, Fey Adams, and Joan Krzywicki while being inspired by Nancy Model’s Suzuki/Taubmann approach. She has taken continuing education courses in Suzuki training at the School for Strings under the guidance of Marina Obukvsky. Ms. Tsuji is active member of ASCAP, MTNA, NGPT, MEANJ, and PMTGNJ. Her students range from ages two to ninety-nine and she enjoys working with special needs students.

Ms. Tsuji has received numerous teaching awards, including the National Honor Award, Piano Teacher Hall of Fame from American College of Musicians, and the Highest Score Award from ABRSM (Associate Board of Royal School of Music). In addition to teaching, Ms. Tsuji also serves as organist/keyboardist at Paramus Congregational Church, Mission Church, and as a music therapist at Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Everyone have different goals when they sign up for piano lessons. Some students strive to become very accomplished pianists. Some students just enjoy learning to play. All children develop differently and require different kind of support to meet their individual needs. I establish small specific individual goals and customized curriculums for each of my students. My studio’s wide goals are to all my students to have great appreciation for music and play music for their lives.