Andrew Barnhart

Cello Teacher

Andrew Barnhart

SAA Member

Contact

Royal Oak, MI
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www.andrewbarnhart.com

Cellist Andrew Barnhart is a native of the Detroit, Michigan area where he began playing the cello in the public school system at the age of 10. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree, Performer’s Certificate, and Orchestral Studies Diploma from the Eastman School of Music.

Andrew spent several years as a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra cello section and principal cellist of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. He has appeared a soloist with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

As a chamber musician he has performed with the Michigan Chamber Players, the Eastman Chamber Music Society, and the Eastman Virtuosi. Andrew has had the opportunity to perform with such musicians as: Yehonatan Berick (violin), Yizhak Schotten (viola), Carmen Pelton (soprano), Lynn Aspnes and Kathleen Bride (Harp), JB VanDemark (Bass), the Kilbourn Saxophone Quartet, John Marcellus (Trombone), and Kenneth Grant (Clarinet).  He was a finalist in the prestigious Coleman Chamber Music Competition as part of the Half-Six Piano Trio.

Andrew has appeared a soloist with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

While at the University of Michigan Andrew served as principal cellist of the University Symphony Orchestra for the performance and recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience under conductor Leonard Slatkin. The recording, which features solos played by Andrew, was awarded four Grammy awards including classical album of the year.  Andrew can also be heard on The Musical Landscapes of Hilary Tann, an album released by Centaur Records including the world premiere recording of the solo cello version of Kilvert’s Hills,  and piece of which Andrew also gave the world premiere performance.

Much of Andrew’s time has been dedicated to the education of young musicians.  For more than a decade he taught private cello lessons, group classes, and chamber music at the Kanack School of Musical Artistry in Rochester, NY where he became Artistic Director in 2016.   With the goal of teaching students not only to be great musicians, but using music education as a tool to develop life skills he is very proud to have seen his students go on to successful careers in music and many other fields.  Andrew is also a very experienced teacher of Creative Ability Development (CAD), a pedagogical method using improvisation to develop a child’s innate creativity, having worked with many students and trained other teachers to use the method.

Andrew’s major teachers include: Richard Piippo, Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, and Alan Harris. He has had additional studies with Thomas Landschoot and Ronald Leonard and has played in master classes given by Janos Starker, Bernard Greenhouse, Stephen Geber, Pieter Wispelwey, and Steven Isserlis.