Gabriel Villasurda
instructor: New Horizons Senior Strings
Mr. Villasurda is recently retired from the Greenville MI Public Schools. A native of Detroit MI, he attended East Detroit High School in the suburb of Eastpointe MI. He ranked first in the graduating class 1959 (of 452) and was class valedictorian. He entered The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he earned the degree Bachelor of Music in Music Education with High Honors in December, 1963. He studied violin with Gustave Rosseels and conducting with Elizabeth Green and Theo Alcantara. Later he earned the Master of Music degree also from UM.
Teaching posts have been held in Patchogue, Long Island (3 years), Ann Arbor Public Schools (16 years), The American School in London, UK (5 years), the Park-Tudor School, Indianapolis (3 years), Oberlin College (1 year) and the Punahou School, Honolulu (12 years). Summer teaching at the Interlochen Arts Camp has spanned 35 years.
Villasurda is a fully certified Suzuki violin teacher, having finished the teacher training course laid down by the British Suzuki Institute. He has done studio and group teaching following the Suzuki method in England, Holland, Ohio, Michigan, Arkansas, Indiana, Texas, and Hawaii.
He has done numerous clinics and adjudications in Michigan and Hawaii. He served as an ASTA state officer, chair of the String Committee of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and as president of the Hawaii state MENC organization.
