Swingle Memorial Award
Peggy Swingle Lifetime Achievement Award
Margaret “Peggy” Swingle (1947-2021) was a deeply committed Suzuki Method piano teacher and teacher trainer who dedicated more than 40 years to the Suzuki movement through teaching, training teachers and writing extensively about teaching.
With generous donations from local teachers, former students and her family, SAWS has established an annual award designed to honor a Washington Suzuki teacher whose work, over many years, has exemplified the Suzuki values that Peggy held dear:
- Lifelong dedication to teaching according to the principles of the Suzuki method.
- Commitment to promoting parent education.
- Lifelong pursuit of musical and personal growth through study, practice, workshops, and conferences.
- Demonstration of leadership through participation in local, SAWS and/or SAA projects.
Nomination Process:
SAWS member teachers are invited to submit a letter of recommendation for a Suzuki teacher (on any instrument) they feel deserves this award. In your letter, please speak to how you know the teacher you are recommending, and how their work, over their Suzuki teaching career, has exemplified the values stated above. Honorees should be long-term residents of Washington State and have current, or past membership with SAWS. They can be currently teaching or retired but should be at least 25 years into their teaching career.
One to three awards of $1,000 each will be awarded annually by SAWS (the number will depend on nominations). The recipients will be chosen by a small committee of SAWS teachers, based on the letters of nomination.
Nominations are due by June 1st.
The committee will make their decision by June 1st and the recipients will be notified and receive their award in the form of a check by June 30th. Honorees will be announced in an email to the membership, on our website, and again at a presentation at the Fall Festival and/or Piano Graduation recital.
Click here to go to submit your nomination letter.
You will also be asked to include:
- Your phone number, so that we can ask follow-up questions, if needed,
- the contact info of the teacher your are recommending (if known),
- Names and phone number or email for any colleagues who could provide a secondary recommendation, or more details about the nominee’s experience.
2025 Winners:
Elizabeth (Betsy) Stuen-Walker has worked as a dedicated, diligent Suzuki Viola/Violin teacher and Viola teacher trainer for over 40 years in the Bellingham, WA, area and prior to that, in Iowa at the Preucil School. She first joined SAWS in1985. She has contributed greatly to the Suzuki community through her dynamic private studio, composing and publishing several viola ensemble books, Suzuki viola exercise books, string ensemble books, viola teacher training and as the chair of the ISA Viola Committee, working to update the viola books. Betsy continues to support parent education through her studio, teacher training and teaching in summer institutes in and out of Washington state. She supports the lifelong pursuit of musical and personal growth through continued work performing and through participating in and presenting at local, national and international workshops and conferences.
Kerry Travers has maintained a private studio for forty years in many different communities in Utah and Washington and has maintained studios in Wenatchee, Cashmere and Chelan. In addition, she has taught at festivals and institutes throughout Washington state. Kerry also teaches Body Mapping to address the alarming rate of injury among musicians. Since 2007 she has been licensed to teach the course “What Every Musician Needs To Know About The Body” as a Licensed Body Mapping Educator. Kerry Travers is a long time member of SAWS, supporting its activities and leading our organization as a board member, graduation chair, secretary and membership chair. Her teaching skill is exemplified in the achievements of two of her children, whom she taught herself, and who have become professional violinists. When not teaching, Kerry plays in the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Lake Chelan Bach Festival Orchestra where she served on their board for 29 years (President for 10 years), and she performs with her trio called Classic Pizzazz. Through her many years of work and service in support of musicians, teachers and students, Kerry’s work exemplifies the values of the Swingle Award.
2024 Winner:
Karlyn Brett is a lifelong Suzuki piano teacher. She was instrumental in founding and building SAWS as well as in establishing and growing Suzuki piano teaching in the Spokane area. She has also worked for many years as a teacher trainer with a special interest in parent education. Her life-long pursuit of musical and personal growth has extended into other areas: organ, choral conducting, and composition. Even now, at the age of 90, she still maintains a studio of 18 students.
2023 Winners:
Barbara Balatero is a Suzuki cello teacher and teacher trainer. She has shown a lifetime of commitment to the Washington State Suzuki community and to the growth of Suzuki teaching in Latin America. After leaving university, Barbara served in the US Peace Corps in El Salvador, starting the first Suzuki program in Central America, which is going strong today. As an SAA trainer she has helped train teachers in Latin America, often at a reduced rate to make training opportunities more accessible. She also supports the programs she visits with donations of instruments and music supplies. Barbara served the Washington State Suzuki community as director of the Japan-Seattle Suzuki Institute for over 20 years. After her tenure as JSSI director, she served as president of the board that oversees JSSI for over 10 years. She fervently believes that having a wide swath of families and teachers attend workshops raises the level of playing and teaching in the community. Furthermore Barbara displays a commitment to lifelong learning through retaking training courses, consistently attending SAWS workshops and SAA conferences, and by taking cello lessons weekly herself; presenting solo recitals of very difficult repertoire nearly yearly for the last 20+ years.
Katrin St. Clair is a Suzuki violin teacher in Puyallup and Olympia. She has shown a deep commitment to Suzuki values, parent training, and to growing and strengthening Suzuki education in Washington State. She embodies Suzuki’s philosophy of “character first, ability second” and aims to instill not just musical skills but also strong moral values in her students. Katrin leads a large private studio as well as overseeing 8 other teachers at a large Suzuki program in a private school in Olympia, where she has mentored 4 young teachers. Katrin has worked to organize and promote various large Suzuki events, building both the teaching community and family engagement. She writes for the SAA Journal and has two written two children’s books to support beginning Suzuki families.
Mihoko Hirata, a native of Matsumoto, Japan, received her teacher training under the personal guidance of Dr. Suzuki. In 1967 she was selected by Dr. Suzuki to be one of the first teachers to introduce the Suzuki method in the United States. Mrs. Hirata received a “Creating a Learning Community Award” from the Suzuki Association of the Americas, recognizing her as the “Spirit of Suzuki in the Northwest.” She is also a member of the National Registry of Suzuki Violin Teacher Trainers. Together with her late husband, Yoshihiko (Paul) Hirata, they created one of the pre-imminent violin studios in the Seattle area, one which had a tremendous impact on both their students and the violin teaching community. Mrs. Hirata has also presented workshops and master classes throughout the United States and around the world. She is a quiet but constant presence at SAWS events and, despite her advancing years, continues to be an active teacher and serves as a board member of the Suzuki Education and Research Association (SERA). She has never wavered from her devotion to Suzuki’s philosophy and teaching, consistently demonstrating love, humor, and warmth towards her students while upholding high standards and expectations.
About Peggy Swingle
Margaret “Peggy” Dvonch was born in New York, New York to Frederick and Mara Dvonch. She graduated from Carleton College in 1968 and married Larry Swingle. She moved to Bainbridge Island in 1975 and made her home there for the rest of her life. Over her 40-year career as a Suzuki piano teacher she taught hundreds of students in Seattle, on Bainbridge Island, and internationally. She was active in the Suzuki Association of Washington State, training other teachers, serving in leadership roles, and founding a statewide program to recognize students’ achievements. Her second passion was training her sheltie dogs in agility and she was very active in the statewide agility community. Peggy passed away peacefully after a long illness, surrounded by loving family. Peggy’s wife, Marilyn Miller, preceded her in passing in July 2021. Peggy leaves behind three children and four grandchildren as well as countless Suzuki piano students and teachers who will carry on her legacy of music.