Private Instruction
Suzuki and Traditional Cello
Evanston Outreach Cello Program lessons and Group Classes
Bianca d’Avila do Prado has been a member of the Music Institute’s cello and Suzuki faculty since May 2022. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in Brazil and a Master of Music degree in cello performance and string pedagogy at Illinois State University. Her composition, Brazilian Habanera for Strings, was one of five pieces selected to be part of the “Beginning Level Volumes of the Celebrating Diversity in String Music Anthology,” promoted by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a prize awarded by the Sphinx Venture Fund. This collection of music will be published and distributed to schools in the United States. She has recorded six CDs with Camerata Ontoarte and a Lua de Santiago with music by Fernando Avila for Accordion and String Quintet.
She is an online cello instructor for the University of Idaho Preparatory Division. In 2021 she started and was the head of the cello program at the Suzuki String Academy, in Sandpoint, Idaho and principal cello for the North Idaho Philharmonia. She has been a cello instructor for First Sandpoint Summer Strings Festival and Escola Tio Zequinha and a member of Theatro São Pedro Chamber Orchestra and Quatricelli Cello Quartet, winner of the "Premio Funarte de Concertos Didaticos" in 2014.
MM, Cello Performance and String Pedagogy, Illinois State University (Dr. Adriana Ransom,
Dr. Cora Swenson-Lee)
BM, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil (Dr. Angela Ferrari)
Suzuki Training, Books 1 - 10 with David Evenchick, Tanya Carey and Avi Friedlander
Suzuki Practicum with Nancy Hair
Group Class Techniques with Carey Beth Hockett
Revisiting Book 1 with Sally Gross
Setting Up Families for Success with Christine Goodner
Clases Grupales with Andrea Espinzo
Filosofia Suzuki with Shinobu Saito and Eduardo Ludueña
Awards
Distinguished Young Teacher Award (2024), Suzuki Association of the Americas
Teacher of Note Award (2023), Music Institute of Chicago
Winner of the "Premio Funarte de Concertos Didaticos" in 2014
Recordings
6 CDs with Camerata Ontoarte
CD: A Lua de Santiago, music by Fernando Avila for Accordion and String Quintet
DVD: Sinfonia Metaphisica Sinfonia Coral and Familia Lima Raizes
My composition Brazilian Habanera for Strings was one of the five pieces selected to be part of the "Beginning Level Volumes of the Celebrating Diversity in String Music Anthology", promoted by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a prize awarded by the Sphinx Venture Fund. This collection of music will be published and distributed to schools in the United States.
I love playing the cello, and my main goal as a teacher is to help students learn to love it as much as I do. That all comes from a positive and diligent approach to effective practice so they can develop their skills in a way so they can sound good and have fun while learning and discovering their potential as musicians.
It's been an incredible experience to work on expanding and diversifying the pedagogical repertoire for strings in the U.S. I've been writing articles about Brazilian Music for Strings, composing my own pieces, and working with an amazing team of cello teachers on a project called Resonance: A Multicultural Cello Method, to be released in Fall 2024.
It's been a rewarding experience working with students playing music from my country and music composed by me through workshops and clinics.
I also love that I can connect with students and families on a deeper level using my fluency in Portuguese, Spanish or English, whatever feels more comfortable to them.
Professional affiliations/activities
Online Cello Instructor - University of Idaho Preparatory Division, since fall 2021
Guest Cellist - Peoria Symphony Orchestra, since fall 2022
Head of the Cello Program, Cello Instructor, SCS Junior Orchestra Director - Suzuki String Academy, Idaho, 2021
Principal Cellist - North Idaho Philarmonia, 2021
Graduate Teaching Assistant, ISU String Project - Illinois State University, 2018-2020
Principal Cellist - Illinois State University Symphony, 2018-2020
Suzuki Cello Teacher - Escola de Musica Tio Zequinha, Brazil, 2011-2018
Cellist - Orquestra de Camara Theatro Sao Pedro, Quatricelli Cello Quartet, Brazil, 2012-2018
Invited to teach at Festivals in Brazil and in the US:
Illinois State University String Project Summer Camp in 2019 and 2020
XXI, XXII and XIV Encontro de Violoncelos do RS, in Brazil
Cello instructor, First Sandpoint Summer Strings Festival
Adjudicator and committee member:
3rd Concurso Jovem Violoncelista Jean-Jacques Pagnot (BR)
and the First Sandpoint Summer Strings Festival Adjudication (US)
A few of my favorite things:
I love that through my cello I've been having incredible opportunities to go places and meet wonderful people from all over the world. I love to see how music can connect independent of their language, age or ethnicity.
What does music mean to you:
Music is a powerful tool to bring people together, to create better citizens and to bring peace, joy and beauty to the the world. I love to be on stage and bring to life ideas that so many amazing composers had in their minds through their music. And I also love that I can change lives by sharing my knowledge and love for the cello with my students.
Interests/hobbies outside of music:
I am Brazilian, but my great-grandparents came from Italy, so I enjoy cooking and eating Brazilian and Italian family recipes because that reminds me from home. I also love traveling and taking long walks appreciating the beauty of nature and taking pictures from the places I'm at to share with friends and family around the world.