Lionel Thomas comes to Music Center from Wilmington, Delaware where taught violin and viola as Suzuki Academy Associate Department Head at the Music School of Delaware. Other prior appointments include Associate Adjunct Professor at Delaware State University, and instructor at Bermuda School of Music, University of Oregon Community Music Institute, and Temple University Music Prep. Educational background includes doctoral studies at University of Oregon as a graduate teaching fellow, MM in performance from University of Cincinnati, and BM cum laude in performance and music education from University of Oregon. Principal teachers include Kathryn Lucktenberg, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Marc Rovetti, and Fritz Gearhart. In past summers Mr. Thomas attended Aspen Music Festivals as a scholarship student. He was a recipient of an American Suzuki Institute Shinichi Suzuki Teacher Trainer Scholarship. 

Mr. Thomas has a strong passion for teaching and is committed to achieving optimal results in his students while nurturing a sense of appreciation and joy for music. He maintains a year-round commitment to excellent teaching, serving on the faculty of Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Intermountain Suzuki Strings Institutes. Mr. Thomas has worked closely with principal players from the Philadelphia Orchestra in helping students to reach their musical goals. Mr. Thomas’s Suzuki students range in age from 4 years old to 18 years old. He has helped students win top prizes in the International Oskar Rieding and Music School of Delaware Concerto Competitions, acceptance into NYO2, Princeton University Orchestra, DMEA All State Honor Orchestra, and the Seattle Philharmonic. Students who have worked with Mr. Thomas have been recognized by the Royal Conservatory of Music, and performed at prestigious venues such as Weill Hall in New York City. Many of his students were invited to the Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY).

As a performer, Mr. Thomas played with Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, Mann Center Festival Orchestra, Oregon Mozart Players, and other professional ensembles. A performance highlight occurred in the spring of 2022 when Mr. Thomas performed at Carnegie Hall with the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra and Grammy winner Jon Batiste. More recently, in winter of 2026, Mr. Thomas had the honor of performing at the memorial service for gospel legend Richard Smallwood.

Reading, running, and long walks with pug, Reine are a few of Lionel’s spare time activities. He has completed several half marathons and one day hopes to run a full marathon. As a new Seattlite, Mr. Thomas is excited about learning how to snowboard.