Violin and Viola Faculty

Carrie Grace Beisler

Violin teacher and performer, Carrie Grace Beisler, lives in Anoka, MN where she maintains a private Suzuki violin and viola studio through her program Evergreen String Academy. In addition to this, she is a faculty member at St. Joseph School of Music in St. Paul, MN and she has served on the staff of the Colorado Suzuki Institute for nine years.
From 2017 to 2019 Carrie lived and taught in Beirut, Lebanon where she founded and co-directed the American Lebanese Suzuki Talent Education Program and taught and performed with the Lebanese National Conservatory and Orchestra. Founded in 2017 with co-director Tony Moussa, ALSTEP was the first Suzuki program developed in Lebanon. Carrie is passionate about expanding the Suzuki community with her work in both the USA and Lebanon and loves the experience of teaching across different cultures and bringing students together though music. She is committed to creating the opportunity of quality musical education for students across the world.
Growing up a Suzuki student, Carrie began her violin studies at age four with Nancy Lokken at the Augsburg College Suzuki Education Program in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received a Masters of Music with a focus in Suzuki Pedagogy from The University of Minnesota studying under Professor Mark Bjork and completed her Bachelor of Music from The University of Iowa under the instruction of Dr. Scott Conklin.
An active member with the Suzuki Association of the Americas for over 10 years, Carrie recently co-present at the 2018 SAA conference detailing the first year of teaching in Lebanon in a presentation titled, “Expanding Our Community: Challenges and Insights in Creating the First Suzuki Program in Lebanon”. Prior to that she co-presented at the 2014 SAA conference which resulted in a series of publications in the SAA Journal under the title “Metamorphosis from Student to Artist Teacher”. In addition to her long-term training with Mark Bjork at The University of Minnesota, Carrie has taken courses with Christie Felsing, Nancy Jackson, Alice Joy Lewis, and Carol Dallinger.
Carrie is an active performer through the US and Lebanon, both in solo performances and in professional orchestras. Prior to moving to Lebanon, Carrie taught as a full-time faculty member at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Suzuki Program in Edwardsville, IL and previous to that she taught Suzuki violin and group classes at the St. Joseph School of Music in St. Paul, MN.
As an undergraduate and graduate student, Carrie received multiple music awards and scholarships and was an active participant in chamber groups and in working with composers. Additional mentors and teachers who have enriched her musical education are: Paul Kantor, Doris Preucil, William Preucil Jr., Brian Lewis, Ranata Knific, Augustin Hadelich, and Joan Kwon.  In chamber music, she studied under Tom Rosenberg, Stella Anderson, Kathe Jarka, The Maia Quartet, and The Parker Quartet.

Tony Moussa

Tony Moussa is a registered Suzuki teacher, performer and educator based in Minnesota. As a teacher, Tony is committed to excellence at a young age and providing a well-rounded music education for all students. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, he previously taught there from 2017-2020 through a Suzuki program he co-founded and developed.

Tony received his Master of Music degree in violin performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and a Bachelor in Music degree in violin performance from the same institution. He was a graduate assistant in the Suzuki program where he taught Suzuki students, led group classes and conducted student orchestras. His violin studies were under the instruction of Dr. Lenora Anop, Suzuki pedagogy training was with Vera McCoy-Sulentic, and performance coaching and collaboration with pianist Vera Parkin.

Prior to studying in the United States, Tony began his violin instruction at the age of 13 at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. He received a Bachelor Diploma from this conservatory and taught on faculty for four years. For ten years he also performed as a section violinist with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra. Tony has performed in various recitals and masterclasses in the United states and Lebanon and has participated in international workshops in Europe and the Middle East. Other musical instructors who contributed in Tony’s education include, Marc Thayer, Dr. Michael Mishra, and Camil Mucca. He has additional Suzuki training with Charles Krigbaum and has participated in teacher workshops with Mark Bjork, Nancy Lokken, Carey Beth Hockett and his mentor Winifred Crock.