cello performance thoughts...BU, Ithaca, SUNY Purchase

ruggeri13
Mon, 31 Mar 2014 20:56:09 +0000

Not sure if you are still looking for advice, but here is my two cents worth:
BU: It is known as a very good music school and I know that there is a lot of trading off of students between Marc Johnson and Allen Harris (At eastman) Carefull choosing a studio though. With a school so big, you want to have a teacher you love and a studio you are inspired by

Suny Purchase: I don’t know much about Julia Lichten, though what little I know is good. I would make sure that she is a regular full time teacher though. Often performing teachers will be on tour and then you are stuck studying with a T.A.

Ithaca: A wonderful, kind, uplifting environment. The teachers do a sort of tag teamed style where Elizabeth Simkin (Former teaching assistant to Janos Starker) teaches a lot of technique and Heidi Hoffman teaches a lot of musicality. The only concern would be for someone who really wants a competitive atmosphere as both teachers are quite “nice” and the other studios aren’t as strong as the cellos.