Megan is currently accepting students on Zoom and at her home studio in Menlo Park, CA.
As a cellist with over 25 years of playing experience, Megan is a passionate cellist performing in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout country. Before arriving to the Bay Area, she maintained a large cello studio of 40 students throughout the country on Zoom, teaching students of a wide range of age and skill.
She currently serves on faculty as Cello Professor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Besides maintaining her cello studio of 14+ cellists, Megan coaches chamber music and leads an eclectic Cello Ensemble at Cal Poly. Read more about her work at Cal Poly here.
Her teaching experience has included masterclasses and competition judging in Austin, TX. She has also served as a chamber coach at the PhoenixPhest! Chamber Music Festival and as cello instructor and chamber coach at the Ann Arbor Piano Teacher's Guild Chamber Music Festival.
Megan holds a Master of Music in Performance from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Eastern Michigan University.
Rates
$100/hr
$80/45 min
$60/30 min
About Me
Cellist Megan Chartier is “unafraid to display gutsy abandon,” as described by the South Florida Classical Review. She has performed throughout North America and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral cellist. She currently holds positions as core cellist of Ensemble for These Times, principal cellist of Opera San Luis Obispo and section cello in the Vallejo Symphony. Previous notable positions include core cellist of the Astralis Chamber Ensemble, principal cellist of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, and extra cello of San Antonio Symphony. In recent seasons, she has performed with ensembles including Symphony San Jose, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Modesto Symphony, One Found Sound in San Francisco, and the Nu Deco Ensemble in Miami. Ms. Chartier holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Music in Performance from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. In the fall of 2023, she joined the faculty as Cello Lecturer at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. In addition, she will be joining University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music for 2025-2026 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Cello.
Teaching Experience
I am the cello professor at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and visiting assistant professor of cello in practice at University of Pacific Conservatory of Music, but I also enjoy a teaching studio in and around Palo Alto. I began teaching in 2015, and have taught over a hundred cellists in-person and online. As a lover of chamber music, I teach Cello Ensemble and Chamber Music at Cal Poly, and also coach ensembles locally. I enjoy teaching a wide range of ages (10-100) and skill levels, but I am particularly passionate about teaching adult beginning/returning students and high school that are interested in double majoring or minoring in music in college.
Methods
For beginning students, I usually begin heavily with physical technique, music theory exercises, and scales. From there, I use Rick Mooney's Position Pieces as well as solo repertoire from the Suzuki books to develop musicality and efficiency. The solo works chosen are designed to work toward the interests and goals of the students (competitions and/or genre interests). For advanced or adult students, I treat our lessons more broadly, integrating cello playing, music history, and an exploration of the genre as a whole to establish passion and long-term goals. The students' interests, then, directly influence the lessons as I provide these students with a handful of pieces to choose from.
Lesson Style
As a passionate player, my teaching style heavily relies on sharing and developing my students' excitement for the cello. My educational background in music history, music theory, and body awareness combined with a personal dedication to expressiveness, creativity, and technology help to organize a well-rounded experience for my students. As each student begins different needs, goals, and abilities, I heavily rely on the "beginning with the end in mind" mindset for each individual student. My lessons are typically broken down into scales, etudes, and solo works - and if time allows, a fun exercise chosen by the student (jazz improv, music theory, extra solo work).