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Suzuki method founder exposed as a fraud

Shinichi Suzuki has been exposed as a fraud.

A legendary music teacher famed for developing a world-renowned violin method and who boasted about his friendship with Albert Einstein has been been exposed as a fraud and a liar.

Shinichi Suzuki founded the Suzuki method in the 1950s and it has since been used by millions across the world.

The violinist died in 1998 and had claimed Einstein was his 'guardian' and that he spent eight years in the 1920s studying at Berlin Hochshule, in Germany, as a private student of top violinist Karl Klinger, The Telegraph reported.

Yet it has surfaced that the musician was rejected from the music school during auditions and that the only time he met Einstein was when he sold him a violin, crafted by his violin-maker father.

Critics have exposed the truth about Suzuki's training and background based on details of his failed audition in 1923 and thus the fact he was never taught by Klinger.

"I think it is one of the biggest frauds in music history," US violin teacher and composer Mark O'Connor said. "I don't believe anybody has properly checked his past."

"Shinichi Suzuki had no violin training from any serious violin teacher that we can find.

"He was basically self-taught, beginning the violin at the age of 18, and it showed. He was never allowed a position in any orchestra, never performed professionally or made a professional recording."

Yet in Suzuki's biographies, it is claimed from 1921, two years before he 'auditioned', he was Klinger's only private pupil.

Mr O'Connor, believes Suzuki lied about his history to help sell his training method.

"Looking at this single line entry of Shinichi Suzuki - we have a 24 year-old man who was not good enough to get lessons at this music conservatory with any professor there including Karl Klingler, and therefore did not seek violin training at the end of the day."

Mr O'Connor also added that there is no evidence of the friendship between Suzuki and Einstein.

The only connection was when Suzuki took a violin made by his father to Einstein.

The Suzuki method sees children start playing an instrument as early as possible and requires them to learn by playing the same short pieces repeatedly from memory.