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Spring Auditions for New Members due Dec 31st
Dr. Shu - Yi Scott
Dr. Shu - Yi Scott
AYO President
Dr. Shu-Yi Scott, originally from Taipei, Taiwan, is an internationally respected Suzuki cello teacher trainer, performer, and youth music education advocate. She currently serves on the Suzuki Association of the Americas Training Committee (2023–2025), where she contributes to shaping teacher development and evaluation standards across the Americas.
In Austin, Dr. Scott has dedicated herself to strengthening the local musical ecosystem by curating high-quality ensemble training programs for young musicians. As founder and director of the Austin Cello Festival, she has created vibrant opportunities for students to engage with peers, learn from master teachers, and perform at an advanced level.
Through her Scott Cello Studio program and Suzuki teacher training offerings, Dr. Scott has trained and consulted more than 400 teachers, while presenting numerous workshops for string teachers and students around the world. She is known for her innovative pedagogy and creative approach to both in-person and virtual instruction.
Dr. Scott holds a Master of Music in cello performance from Penn State University (studying with Dr. Kim Cook) and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with the legendary pedagogue Ms. Phyllis Young.
Certified by the Suzuki Association of the Americas with a Certificate of Achievement in 2015, she was appointed a Suzuki cello teacher trainer in 2019. She teaches cellists ranging from age three to advanced pre-college musicians, bringing together her expertise in child development, musical excellence, and motivational teaching methods.
In addition to training teachers internationally, Dr. Scott has launched several online courses, including How to Convey Tactile Knowledge Through Online Lesson Format and Shu-Yi & Merlin: Let’s Talk About Music Teaching, a collaborative series with Canadian Suzuki piano trainer Dr. Merlin Thompson.
Dr. Scott lives in Austin with her husband, a professional double bassist, and their two daughters, both of whom studied Suzuki cello.
Dyana Limon-Mercado
Vice President
Dyana Limon-Mercado is the newly elected Travis County Clerk. Dyana’s professional experience includes working as the executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. She has served on numerous boards of directors and commissions for causes that work to advance race equity and gender equity, including the Equity Advisory Committee for Austin ISD, City of Austin Commission for Women, and the YWCA Greater Austin. She was elected as the Travis County Democratic Party Chair from 2018 to 2020, the first Hispanic person to do so, and ran one of the most successful and inclusive coordinated campaigns in the county party’s history. Dyana’s close relationship with women’s issues, health care and racial equity comes from her personal experience as a mother, Latina, community advocate, grassroots organizer and leader. She earned an associate degree from Austin Community College in 2003, a bachelor's degree from Texas State University in 2005, and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2008.
Alex Scott
Treasurer
Alex Scott has a background in both business and double bass, having earned an undergraduate degree in Music performance and an MBA both from the University of Texas at Austin.
He has worked in the financial services industry for 25 years.
Kiyoshi Tamagawa
Secretary
Kiyoshi Tamagawa, Professor Emeritus of Music at Southwestern University, Kiyoshi Tamagawa has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and collaborative pianist. He has recorded with violinist Eugene Fodor and cellist Hai Zheng, and appeared with multiple orchestras including the Austin and Temple Symphonies. A recipient of the TMTA Collegiate Teaching Award and a prizewinner in the American Prize concerto competition, Dr. Tamagawa published Echoes from the East in 2019. Since retiring in 2024, he continues to teach privately, with students earning top honors. He has a longstanding connection with AYO, performing regularly with its ensembles.
Jose Flores
José Flores, an accomplished violin soloist and chamber musician, has showcased his talent in prestigious locations across the United States, including New York, Texas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, as well as internationally in countries such as South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Since 2006, Flores has served as a professor of violin and viola at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and held the position of director of orchestral studies from 2012 to 2021.
He is a permanent guest faculty at the Switzerland International Music Academy. He holds degrees from the Aaron Copland School of Music in New York and earned his Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Arizona in 2006.
Beyond academia, Dr. Flores contributes significantly to various orchestras, serving as Concertmaster of the Kingsville Symphony, a member of the Corpus Christi Symphony, and principal second violinist with the Victoria Symphony. He is also a founding member of the Latin American Philharmonic in Houston, where he was acting concertmaster during the 2022-2023 season.
William Dick
Advisor
William Dick was hired by the AISD in 1974 to establish the Austin All-City Orchestra. As Austin grew the orchestra was renamed the Austin Youth Orchestra.
In his over fifty year career in Austin he has been awarded many citations and awards;
Teacher Trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas
Public School column editor for the American Suzuki Journal
Building Community Award from Suzuki Association of the Americas
1994 Music Educator of the Year from the American String Teachers Association
Director of the Year from the Texas Orchestra Directors Association
NEA Award to work with the Austin ISD Orchestra staff
A “Music of the Heart” Award from the National Academy of Recording Artists
Five concertmasters. three assistant concertmasters, and four principal players of Texas All State Orchestras
The Phyllis Young Outstanding Studio Award from Texas String Teachers Association
Keynote Award from the Federation of Music Education.
Additional Board Members:
Susan Williams
Tiffany Lill
Joey Lucita
Shana Thomas
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