Emma Schwartz

Emma Schwarz is a classically trained cellist, passionate chamber musician, and dedicated teacher from Boise, Idaho. She is the founder and owner of Suzuki Strings LLC, a company that provides private musical instruction to students of all ages. She is cello faculty at West Denver Suzuki Strings and the Boulder Valley Waldorf School, at which she teaches private and group lessons to students aged 3—adult. Emma is also cello faculty at the City Strings Organization, a non-profit that operates Suzuki group classes in underserved schools in the Denver Area.

Emma obtained a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Graduate Certificate of Suzuki Pedagogy from the Lamont School of Music, where she studied under internationally acclaimed cellist Matthew Zalkind and Suzuki Pedagogue Heather Hadley. She holds long-term training through all 10 books of the Suzuki Cello Method, has completed the cello private and group practicums from the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and has completed the SAA’s “Suzuki Principles in Action” (“SPA”) training. A lifelong learner, Emma highly values continued education and is constantly seeking to heighten her mastery of cello playing and teaching through supplemental courses. Emma has studied Suzuki Pedagogy with Heather Hadley, Beth Cantrell, Renata Bratt, Andrea Yun, Zachary Sweet, and Tanya Carey. She has also taken extensive training with Icelandic-American cellist, Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir, through her “Cello Sound Alchemy” course. In addition to her passion for continued cello education, Emma loves to push the limits of her mind by reading, studying Swedish Language, aural skills, Chess, and Yoga.

In 2017, Emma accepted an invitation to study at the Malmö Conservatory of Music in Malmö, Sweden with professor Samuli Örstromer. While studying in Malmö, Emma produced two concerts with two chamber groups, and performed in two master classes for the world-famous soloist Thorleif Thédeen. While in Malmö, Emma also performed in a folk music ensemble, in which the musicians learned European folk tune arrangements entirely by ear.   

Emma is trained as a student of the Alexander Technique and will complete her teacher training in 2024. Her training in this method has influenced her playing and teaching of the cello enormously. As a result of her education in the Alexander Technique, Emma has mastered concrete strategies to assuage performance anxiety and prevent and/or unlearn nefarious mental and physical habits. Emma cultivates relaxed posture and good “use of self” from the very beginning with her students, so that they enjoy beautiful ease of motion in their playing.

Emma believes that musical instruction has the power to cultivate confident, compassionate, and resilient individuals. Her first priority in the classroom is nurturing a positive self-image and a growth mindset with her students; her second priority is developing technical and musical excellence on the cello. Emma believes that cultivating empathy, resilience, and poise through musical instruction is one of the most powerful means by which we can create a more beautiful world.

Barbara Casanova

 Barbara Casanova has enjoyed a career as a violinist, conductor, and music teacher. Barbara was raised in a family of musicians with both parents working as music educators.

As a performer, she has played with the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet Orchestra, Denver Chamber Orchestra, and has held the position of Concertmaster for other local orchestras. She has played in accompanying orchestras for famous artists including: Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, K.D. Lang, Dionne Warwick, and Brian Williams. Presently, she is a free-lance musician, the first violinist in the Cameo String Quartet, and a member of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra.

As a music educator in the Denver metro area, Barbara taught orchestra, grades 4-12 in Jefferson County from 2002-2020. In her last eight years with Jeffco, the Bell Middle School Orchestras won many awards under her directorship. In 2017 and again in 2019 they auditioned and were accepted to perform at The Colorado Music Educator Association conference. In the 2019-2020 Barbara was awarded the Golden Schools Foundation “Teacher of the Year.” 

Marsh Barnette | Accompanist, Piano Coach

Marsh Barnette started playing the piano at an early age, taught first by his mother and later by Elizabeth Johnson of Ashland KY.  He attended the University of Kentucky and studied piano with noted piano teacher Nathaniel Patch and well-known pianist and harpsichordist  James Bonn.  During his attendance at UK, Marsh was the winner of the KMTA concerto competition in 1975.  Since then he has made many solo appearances as pianist and has performed with instrumental chamber groups. 

One of Marsh's ongoing musical interests has been collaborative piano.  He was a choir rehearsal accompanist beginning at age 10 and has accompanied for many choirs and choruses.  Marsh has also been accompanist and collaborator with many singers and instrumentalists and has appeared in many concerts as pianist with instrumental and vocal soloists.  He utilizes his years of experience to coach students in the interpretation and performance of their repertoire,  assisting them in achieving a high standard in their performances.  He has been coach and accompanist for his wife Laura Barnette’s violin students for many years and has worked with violinists of all ages and levels, from 4 year old beginners to professionals.  One of the 4 year olds was Marsh’s daughter Annie Barnette, who he has accompanied for throughout her student years and as a professional violinist.   

Marsh has been instrumental coach and accompanist for West Denver Suzuki Strings since its beginning.  He is the piano coach and accompanist for all solo recitals and group performances of WDSS.  

Contact: info@westdenversuzuki.com