Elizabeth Cunha

Elizabeth Cunha is the Performing Arts Department Chair at Stone Ridge School where she teaches Middle and High School String Ensembles. In addition, Elizabeth is director and founder of Silver Strings Suzuki Studio. Elizabeth received her Bachelor’s from The Catholic University of America where she studied violin performance, musical theater and music education with Jody Gatwood, Piotr Gajewski, Jane Pesci-Townsend and Dr. Robert Garofalo. Elizabeth received a MM in Music Education and Suzuki Pedagogy from The University of Maryland under the tutelage of Ronda Cole. In 2009, Elizabeth was awarded teacher-training certification in Music Mind Games and has led workshops across the U.S., and internationally. She has served on the board of directors for the Suzuki Association for the Greater Washington Area (SAGWA) and is currently President for the American String Teachers Association MD/DC chapter (ASTA MD/DC). Elizabeth is co-music director for Washington Preludio Strings international performance ensemble, and values opportunities to design, rehearse and travel while sharing culturally diverse musical experiences with students and families.

As a performer, Elizabeth has a wide range of theater credits as an actor/vocalist/violinist including: National Tour of Cabaret, Shakespeare Theater, Signature Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, Toby’s and West End Dinner Theater. Elizabeth’s teaching style is a fusion of extensive training in Suzuki, Orff Schulwerk, Dalcroze Eurythmics with Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Creative Strings Academy, World Music Drumming and opportunities for composing, arranging, choreographing, and exploring new styles of music with students, colleagues and friends.

In her teaching, Elizabeth aims to provide unique, creative, and happy musicing experiences that ebb and flow in nature to meet the needs and goals of the musicians in the room or zoom. Elizabeth’s most treasured musical moments continue to be a result of her own experiences as a Suzuki mom with her two children.