Tanya Carey

Tanya Lesinsky Carey, cellist, has presented masterclasses and concerts in over thirty states, Canada, Europe, England, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and South America. Her orchestral experiences include the post of assistant principal of the Milwaukee Symphony and prize winning recordings with the Rochester Philharmonic. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has presented concerts in Tully and Carnegie Halls, performed concertos with orchestra, and recorded two records with the Lydian Trio including a commissioned Trio by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, the Trio by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Faure and Dvorak Piano Quartets.

She holds a BM and MM from Eastman and a DMA from the University of Iowa. The topic of her essay is A Study of Suzuki Cello Practices as Used by Selected American Cello Teachers. She has served on the ASTA National Board, ASTA National Solo Contest Commission, the ASTA Syllabus Revision Committee, and Chair of the Committee on Studio Instruction. In the SAA she has served as President in 1990-1992, on the Board of Directors, chaired the Teacher Training Task Force which established guidelines for Teacher Training, was editor of the Cello Column, was chairman of the Cello Committee creating the Suzuki Cello School, and represented the SAA on the ISA Board and the MENC Task Force on String Education.

She has earned the Faculty Excellence, Faculty Merit, and Outstanding Teacher Awards from Western Illinois University, and the Suzuki Chair Award from the American Suzuki Institute. She was named the “Outstanding Studio Teacher of the Year” for 1992 by the ASTA-Illinois Unit. Her students have won prizes in major contests in the United States including Aspen Festival, St. Louis Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and MTNA. Currently she is professor emeritus of cello at Western Illinois University, and taught for 15 years at the Meadowmount School of Music.

Currently she is artist teacher of cello at DePaul University CMS and Wheaton College and maintains a heavy schedule of master classes, workshops, and performing.

She plays a Joseph filias Andreas Guarnarius made in 1704.