Meet Breana
In 2014, Breana Bauman founded her violin studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her mission is for children to get the best start possible by studying music with an extraordinary performer. Her studio ranges from Suzuki beginners to the pre-college conservatory level. Breana joyfully shares her enthusiasm for violin and its history to nurture an intrinsic motivation to practice and play.
Antiracist Goals
Breana values diversity and inclusion, practicing anti-racism to make our world a better place for everyone. She incorporates music composed by WomenX and BIPOC musicians in her version of the Suzuki Method and Advanced Violin Studies.
Early Education
Breana was fortunate to be part of a pilot program in Cincinnati, Ohio which established Suzuki strings programs at local public elementary Montessori schools. This was Dr. Suzuki’s dream team. Breana completed the 10 Suzuki Books by the end of 6th grade and joined the Starling Project with Kurt Sassmanshaus at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She was part of the group that recorded many string orchestra works.
College Years
Breana stayed in Ohio, a state rich in musical education opportunities, and earned a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory in violin performance with Kyung Sun Lee, an internationally renowned soloist. She continued these studies, earning a Master’s Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in violin performance and Suzuki Pedagogy with Stephen Rose of the Cleveland Orchestra and Kimberly Meier-Sims, a leading teacher trainer in the Suzuki Method. During that time, she studied Suzuki in France with Christophe Bossuat (Director of the European Suzuki Association).
Chicago
In Chicago from 2006 - 2012, Breana was on the faculty of the Merit School of Music, a comprehensive non-profit music school, coaching beginners through conservatory level in private lessons, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire. Merit offers its students over 3 million dollars annually in financial aid. She also taught for Ed Kreitman at the Western Springs School of Talent Education, and ChiME. She performed regularly with Fifth House Ensemble and formed The Battery Quartet.
Boston
Hoping to improve her orchestral audition skills, Breana applied and was accepted as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. The organizers recognized her leadership skills and frequently positioned her as first chair. In this position, she had the privilege of being coached by Joseph Silverstein and Malcolm Lowe, both former concertmasters of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
A highlight of the season was performing Mahler Symphony no. 3 with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting. She was acclaimed by the New York Times for her, "excellent work throughout," and by the Berkshire Eagle
At his suggestion, Breana relocated to Boston in 2012 to study with Malcolm Lowe, and following a nerve injury, worked with Bayla Keyes and the Muir Quartet.
Breana brings the perspective of an accomplished musician to guide a child's playing to its full, artistic potential.
Tanglewood - Rivers - SuzukiMA
In the summer of 2017, she joined the faculty of Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s newest endeavor, the Junior Strings Intensive, coaching chamber music and private lessons. When COVID brought that program to an end, Breana joined the chamber music faculty at Rivers Conservatory, in Weston, MA.
Breana is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and former vice-president of its chapter affiliate, Suzuki:MA (organizers of the Massachusetts Suzuki Festival).