Testimonials

Kim passed on to me her love of music and amazing work ethic. She created a familial environment where we could grow, learn and excel together. The skills I learnt and friends I made at her studio will stay with me forever.

Kim Bishop has been Melbourne’s most sought-after Suzuki violin teacher for many years. I had the great pleasure of teaching one of Kim’s former students, Kana Ohashi, before she left for the Royal Northern College in Manchester and can vouch for the superb technical and musical training that Kim gives all her students. She will be very greatly missed in Melbourne but the wonderful violin playing by Kim’s current and former students in our youth orchestras and at tertiary institutions, including the Australian National Academy of Music, is testament to her fantastic contribution to her students’ musical careers and to music in Melbourne generally. Hobart is very lucky to be welcoming home one of Australia’s finest teachers.

It gives me great pleasure to most warmly recommend my outstanding colleague Kim Bishop as a major figure in the Australian string teacher fraternity. For many years Kim has achieved outstanding results in her violin teaching. She has taught, with great success students at every level of violinistic ability, from beginners to highly advanced players who have achieved significantly national prominence.

During this time Kim has also made valuable contributions to ANAM and Monash University. Furthermore her teaching authority is greatly enhanced by her experience as a member at various times of numerous Australian professional orchestras such as TSO, QPO and QSO as well as with several orchestras in the USA.

Kim Bishop is understandably greatly loved by her students. Her commitment and her expertise is beyond reproach.

As General Manager of Suzuki Music, I have known Kim Bishop in a professional capacity for the past 15 years in her role as Director of Violin Professional Development. Kim is a very fine Violinist and musician, and is revered by her colleagues. She has done a wonderful of job of running the Suzuki Music Violin Teacher Training Program since 2000, helping many teachers to make the transition to become fine Suzuki Teachers. She has taken her role very seriously, with the well-being of others always at the heart of every decision she makes.

It was for these reasons that Kim was the natural choice as a violin teacher for my two children when we wished to commence lessons 3 and a 1/2 years ago. My eldest daughter, Chloe, was not quite three at the time, but Kim treated her with respect and created an environment in lessons where Chloe could learn to play the violin beautifully, but more importantly, learn patience, perseverance and so many other important life lessons. My children love being part of Kim’s studio, where they have made life-long friends who have similar interests. Kim works hard to foster this sense of community in her studio, and it is valued hugely by both the students and parents.

We are very sorry to be losing Kim to Tasmania. She has become part of our family, and we will miss her greatly. Our loss is Tasmania’s gain!

“When I am a parent, I want to surround my children with the warmth of a kind and supportive community, allow them to constantly explore, discover and grow with the guidance of nurturing and patient teachers, and encourage freedom of expression whilst instilling discipline.

I was blessed to experience all of this first-hand, and Kim Bishop is who I owe it to.

Never will you meet a kinder soul who will change your child’s life in only the most positive ways.

I was a student of Kim’s from the age of 8 to 17 and, though I have had the pleasure of taking lessons with professors from all around Europe, including the Salzburg Mozarteum, Royal Northern College of Music, Oslo Conservatoire and London’s Royal Academy of Music, I can’t help but come back to Kim, 6 years after graduating her class.”

To those who are hoping to embark on a musical journey with their loved ones …

If you are looking for a means to share joy, happiness, sorrow and all the excitement in life with your loved ones …

If you are looking for a nurturing environment where there is love for your children …
If you are an ‘L’ plate holder as a parent and looking for a means to grow alongside your children  …
And, if you are looking for an educator who will grant all of these wishes  …

Go to Kim Bishop.

Kim played a huge role in the musical journeys of my two daughters.

Having taught them for a total of 21 years, Kim shaped and enriched much of their childhood with her loving care and mentorship. They have now gone on to pursue their dreams with one taking up a teaching position in England and the other studying at the Australian National Academy of Music right after Year 12.

However, we thank Kim not only for having taught them to play the violin, but also for showing them through example, the potential of becoming the best person one could be. Because of the love and care with which Kim nurtured my daughters throughout their lives from a young age, they are able to carry beautiful music in their hearts every day, with the strength to overcome challenges that are laid in front of them. Being able to not only look back fondly to the special times with Kim, but to live with Kim’s support and guidance even now, is something that we are eternally grateful for.

I am so very happy that there will be more happy children whose lives will be enriched by Kim, and that more will be able to experience what we were lucky enough to have had.

with my best wishes,
Hiroko Ohashi