About Perry
Perry Tonoyan – Mentor/Musician
Piano, Violin, Viola, Musicianship, Theory
Perry Tonoyan is a music teacher/mentor and musician with experience in piano, violin viola, musicianship and theory.
Her career as a violin, viola and piano teacher spans well over 40 years and started with her education at the Yerevan Conservatory Pedagogical Institute where she graduated from a degree in Bachelor of Music (B. Mu) Majoring in Pedagogy and Performance.
For 10 years, Perry was also the Chair of the String Department as well as the Conductor of the String Ensemble (Junior and Senior), Chamber Orchestra and Choir at the Yerevan Conservatory.
During this time Perry worked with many well-acclaimed teachers and instrumentalists and gained extensive knowledge and skills from their mentorship. She was also accepted into Prof. Armen Hovhannisyan’s class, who himself was a student of Prof. H. Bogdanyan – a highly respected and awarded teacher in the USSR.
Another notable musician Perry studied with is Prof. Hrachia Harutunyan who was a student of Prof. Leonid Kogan (USSR). Prof Kogan won the H. Wieniawski International Competition in Poland and was also the Chair of the String Department at the Conservatorium of Music in Yerevan.
Upon completing her degree, Perry chose to pursue a career in her passion: teaching violin/viola and piano. During her studies at the Conservatory Pedagogical Institute, learning piano was compulsory and so Perry chose to major in Violin.
In 1998, many years into her career, Perry was recognised for her knowledge, skills and dedication to music teaching and received an Honourable Award for Highly Productive and Successful Teaching in Yerevan (Armenia).
After calling Armenia home for many years, Perry and her family migrated to Australia where she continues to teach, to notable acclaim.
In Australia, Perry has been appointed by the Australian Institute of Music as a violin, viola and piano teacher. Her career in Sydney expands into the schooling system and includes being a violin teacher and Conductor of the String Ensemble at the Lindfield Public School and Hunters Hill Public School, working as a piano teacher and music teacher (for levels K-6) in West Ryde at the Decibel Music School, being appointed as the String Ensemble Conductor and “Nanor” Choir Conductor for the students at the Galstaun Independent College for levels K-12 and in 2010, becoming the “Head of Jury” in the Armenian Performing Art Award Program.
Perry, known to her school students as Mrs Tonoyan, also has vast experience preparing students for the AMEB exams from preliminary levels all the way through to the Higher School Certificate (HSC), Diploma Certifications and Bachelor Degrees. Many of Perry’s pupils also take up a career in music by furthering their studies through higher educational institutions and universities such as Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Australian Institute of Music.
Some of Perry’s accolades include guiding the “Nanor” Choir in the Sydney Cultural and Educational Society to win the “Excellent Performance” award in 2008 and then in 2010, receiving the first place award in the Armenian Performing Art Award Program.
With over 40 years of experience in musical education – as a student, musician and teacher – Perry brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, skill and expertise to every teaching session.
Perry encourages students’ ability and appreciation of music through teaching instruments, theory, history and practical skills. She is passionate about instilling good technique and posture in her students so that they then have the strength and flexibility to have fun, create music and use instruments as a way to express themselves.