Andrew Barnhart – Artistic Director

Cello, Suzuki Cello, Chamber, Orchestra, CAD

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 ten.  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 where is is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts.  Andrew serves as Principal Cello for the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning and Elmira, NY and of the Colgate University Symphony Orchestra where he is also on faculty.  As a chamber musician he has performed with the Michigan Chamber Players, the Eastman Chamber Music Society, and the Eastman Virtuosi.  He is a member of the Half-Six Piano Trio with pianist Toni James and violinist Man Yui Kitty Cheung.  His major teachers have been Richard Piippo, Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, and Alan Harris.

Elise Hughey

Cello

Minnesota native Elise Hughey first discovered the cello at age ten through her elementary school orchestra program. She then studied in Minneapolis with former Minnesota Orchestra member (and current Toronto Symphony Orchestra principal) Joseph Johnson. Elise received her Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York under the tutelage of Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliott. During her graduate studies, she was awarded the position of Teaching Assistant for Steven Doane’s studio. Recently Elise studied the Creative Ability Development teaching method with Alice Kanack of the Kanack School of Music. Elise performs regularly with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, the Binghamton Philharmonic, and her string quartet, quartet442. In addition to her musical pursuits, Elise is also a certified yoga instructor and she enjoys incorporating body and breath awareness in her cello teaching.

Rachael Lemna

Cello, Suzuki Cello, Pre School Classes, CAD

Rachael Lemna, American cellist, has captivated audiences worldwide with her mature
musicianship and elegant artistry.

Ms. Lemna was named the Gold Medal Winner of the Collegiate Division of the Cleveland Cello Society Competition in 2015 as well as a winner in the 2016 Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition. In addition, she has received honorable marks in numerous competitions, including the Heida Hermanns International String Competition and the Founders Division of the Mondavi National Young Artists Competition. Ms. Lemna was a recipient of the Marine Corps’ “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence in 2013 and was presented the award by an active marine. In addition to solo training, intensive quartet study at the Cleveland Institute of Music led Ms. Lemna to be invited as a member of the fellowship quartet at the Brevard Music Festival during the summer of 2015.

In 2018, Ms. Lemna received a Professional Development Committee Grant from the Eastman School of Music and presented her paper, “Strategizing the Female Body: Charlotte Moorman’s Sky Kiss,” at the AMS NYSSL Chapter Meeting at SUNY Fredonia School of Music. She was also invited to present her paper, “Incorporating Organic Hearing into a Young Musician’s Education,” at Cleveland Institute of Music’s Music Theory Colloquium in 2017. Ms. Lemna has attended multiple music festivals including the Heifetz International Music Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Sitka Cello Seminar, and the Meadowmount School of Music. She has had the honor to perform in master classes for notable musicians such as Zuill Bailey, Amy Barston, Andrew Jennings, Peter Salaff, Wendy Warner, Donald Weilerstein, as well as members of the Cleveland Quartet, Cavani Quartet, and prestigious symphony orchestras.

A native of Wheaton, Illinois, Ms. Lemna began her cello studies at the age of 4 through the Community School of the Arts Suzuki program at Wheaton College. Her past teachers have included Catherine Kuna, Carol Ourada and Dr. Melissa Kraut. Ms. Lemna plays a 1989 Lawrence Furse cello and attends the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she studies cello performance under Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliott. Ms. Lemna received her Bachelor Degree in Cello Performance and Music Theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she also earned minors in Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Suzuki Pedagogy. Through her studies, she has become a fully-registered Suzuki cello teacher under Suzuki teacher trainers Ms. Pamela Devenport and Ms. Abbey Hansen. She currently serves as Suzuki cello faculty at the
Kanack School of Music in Rochester, NY.