Piano
Education
Cecilia Cho received her MM and BM from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Ann Schein. At Peabody, she was the recipient of the M. G. Evans Scholarship, held a theory assistantship, and received a special prize in accompanying. While a DM candidate at Indiana University, she was the Teaching Assistant to Menahem Pressler before pursuing college/university teaching positions. Other notable musical influences are Leon Fleisher (Peabody Masterclasses), and Aube Tzerko (Aspen Music Festival), as well as Gunther Schuller and Rafael Druian (Festival at Sandpoint).
Performance and Teaching Experience
As an active chamber musician, Cecilia was the pianist in the Fessenden Ensemble for 10 years, and continues to perform with the Potomac Piano Trio. She has performed and given masterclasses in the US as well as abroad in France, Germany, Israel, Spain, Chile and Ukraine. Her solo and chamber music performances have been broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio, WETA’s “Front Row Washington,” WQXR, WETA, WGMS, WAJC, and KHCC as well as TV station WBAL.
Prior to Levine, Cecilia was on the Piano Faculty at Bethany College and at the University of Evansville where she taught piano as well as classes in music theory, sight singing, piano literature, piano pedagogy, music history, chamber music, and accompanying. During her tenure, her piano students claimed first prizes in all of the school competitions.
Cecilia is the first prize winner of many competitions including Aspen Music Festival Piano Concerto Competition, Baltimore Symphony Soloist Audition and National Winner of MTNA Baldwin Keyboard Competition. She was also awarded the Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Fellowship and was the recipient of a Small Projects Program Grant from the D. C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.
At Levine
Cecilia has been on the Levine faculty since 1999. She teaches private piano instruction, Performance Piano Classes, and is an Honors Chamber Music Coach. She is also an editor of Levine’s Keyboard Skills & Sight Reading piano books.
“I enjoy working with my wonderful colleagues and students.”
Teaching Philosophy and Approach
“As Albert Einstein said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge…’ While my approach may differ from student to student, the goal is always the same: Replicate the human voice and communicate with conviction a well-punctuated story using natural and efficient technique paying great attention to rhythm.”
Personal
When she isn’t performing or teaching, Cecilia enjoys spending quality time with her family.