Cello with Joan K.

Joan Wolfe Kidder is a cellist living, teaching, and performing in Northern Virginia. She earned her Masters in Music Performance from Ball State University where she studied cello and chamber music with Dr. Peter Opie of the American Piano Trio and her Bachelors in Music Performance from the Conservatory of Shenandoah University where she studied the same with Mr. Clyde Shaw of the Audubon Quartet. Joan has attended various summer music festivals including the Idyllwild Summer Music Festival and the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival where she furthered her love of performing and attended professional masterclasses and performances on a near daily basis. She performs around the region as much as possible and in recent years has played with the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra, Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, and National String Symphonia. During the summers she enjoys putting together local chamber music concerts with family and friends. In addition to classical music she loves musical theatre and plays shows whenever she can. In addition to performing Joan has been teaching cello for almost 10 years. She began her study of the Suzuki method in 2014 and is currently certified through book 3 with plans to continue study. She believes in the emphasis of listening skills and believes they help her students to be sensitive musicians. She has also taught many group classes for general music skills and piano skills and is certified in the Orff method and uses its emphasis on movement with all her students. In graduate school, Joan had an assistantship in the music theory department and instills the love of theory and basic musical knowledge to help create well rounded musicians.