Administration

Gwendoline Thonrnblade, Suzuki School of Newton Founder and Dir. emerita

SSN was founded by Gwendoline Thornblade (BDS, London University. M.Sc.D., Boston University) in 1986 who believed that Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy that all children could learn to play beautiful music —regardless of any innate musical talent—would be central to her teaching and to her school. Our mission is to instill a love and respect for music in our students that will be a source of joyful music making throughout their lives.

In addition to her time as the school’s director, Ms. Thornblade also taught violin, viola, orchestra, and chamber music. She was formerly a player withthe Boston Philharmonic and the Heritage Players, and continues to perform with the Longwood Symphony and Lexington Sinfonietta. A clinician who led workshops throughout the USA, Canada, and Israel, Ms. Thornblade completed her Suzuki training with John Kendall, Bill Starr, Ronda Cole, and Carol Sykes among others.

Ms. Thornblade was also an incorporating member of SMS, Inc., a board member of the Suzuki Association of the America for three years. She was also a Board member of ACMP, Boston Cecelia, and the Suzuki School of Newton. She formerly served on faculty at BCMS, ANMS, Newton Public Schools, Longy School of Music, and the New England Conservatory.

Marlene Lerer, Suzuki Preschool of Newton Founder and Preschool Dir. emerita

The Suzuki Preschool of Newton was founded in 2009 when Marlene Lerer moved to Boston from Atlanta, GA where she had successfully founded the first Suzuki Preschool in the United States. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki himself visited her school in Atlanta, GA, and endorsed the wonderful work being done there with the children.

Marlene Lerer is a longtime educator specializing in early childhood education. She has 42 years of experience in the field and has been featured on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and other media channels. She is a member of the National Association for Young Children and the Commonwealth Institute for Professional Women. Marlene holds a M.Ed. in Administration and Curriculum Development and a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. She is the founder of the Suzuki preschools in Atlanta, Georgia, and Newton, Massachusetts. Marlene has written many developmental curricula for the young child used in preschools. She’s an active member on the board of the Suzuki schools and is an educational consultant in Florida.

Ryan Chou, Assistant to the Registrar

Ryan’s professional work has unfolded in settings defined by intensity, scale, and transition. At the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, he supported the operational life of large summer programs for young musicians. His work was situated at the hinge between planning and execution, where continuity must be maintained even as populations, priorities, and timelines shift. Recently, Ryan worked with the Opera and Classical Programming team at the Wolf Trap Foundation, participating in the administrative scaffolding that supports artistic programming across multiple seasons. His focus on documentation and records supported long-range coherence, allowing artistic plans to develop within a stable and legible framework.

Ryan earned his Bachelor of Music from UCLA and later completed a Master of Arts in Music Industry Administration from California State University, Northridge. Together, these experiences ground his artistic background in a deep understanding of organizational and institutional life.