Christina Chute is a member of the applied music faculties of Bowdoin College and Bates College, where she teaches Cello and Fiddle.  She also welcomes Cello, Violin, and Viola students to her private studio in Portland, Maine.

Christina has been teaching successfully for over 20 years. Among her young private students are those who have gone on to major in music at prestigious schools and universities, and many have participated in such ensembles as the University of Southern Maine Youth Ensembles, Maine Youth Orchestra and All-State Orchestra. Others have enjoyed exploring their instrument and experiencing the joys of collaborative music making while stretching their cognitive abilities, without aiming for mastery. Her college students appreciate her adaptive teaching style and appropriately rigorous expectations. Her adult students relish playing chamber music and discovering a creative side that may have lain dormant.

Christina’s teaching style has been strongly influenced by her own teachers, including Irene Sharp (cello), Bonnie Hampton (chamber music), Earl Carlyss (viola and chamber music), Yehuda Hanani (cello), Paul Ross (cello and chamber music), and Marilyn McDonald (violin). Her interest in teaching has led her to spend several summers studying with the incomparable polymath Burton Kaplan at Magic Mountain Music Farm, and her translation of Barbara Marcinkowska’s Je Commence le Violoncelle was published by Editions Armiane in 2005. Currently, she is working on violin and viola arrangements of Wells Cunningham’s The Art of Scales and researching the New England fiddle style.

As a classically trained musician, Christina has a deep understanding of what it takes to express oneself musically at many different stages of development. Her goal is to help the student recognize and bring out their best qualities, promoting ownership of the musical process and technical progress. An experienced teacher, Christina helps students identify and set realistic, attainable goals for their playing. Repertoire is pulled from the standard classical literature, but also incorporates fiddle music and improvisation, because a well-rounded player (with good technique) is a happy player! Christina accepts students aged 8 and up. She loves teaching, and expects her students to enjoy their lessons as much as she does.

Education:

Diploma, Violin                                        Preparatory Department, Manhattan School of Music

Bachelor of Music, Violin                      Oberlin College Conservatory of Music

Performer’s Certificate, Cello              Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University

Master of Music, Cello                           San Francisco Conservatory of Music