Nora Willauer
Founder | Cellist | Educator
- Role
- Section Cello at Canton Symphony Orchestra
- Location
- Cleveland, OH, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Nora Willauer
I am a dynamic artist and educator, devoted to increasing the quality of classical music education both through my cello teaching and by designing and implementing diverse educational programming. I received my Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where I studied with Dr. Melissa Kraut and Mark Kosower. My research and final lecture recital focused on exploring the connection between the language and practice of groove and cello pedagogy. For this project, I was awarded CIM\'s Maurice and Judith Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity. I am the cello professor at the University of Akron, and over the past few years I have grown our studio into a thriving community of cellists. I also teach privately in Cleveland Heights where I help my students focus on developing awareness of the physical body in service of rich tone and injury-free playing. Students from my private studio have won top regional competitions such as the Sigma Alpha Iota string competition and the Cleveland Cello Society\'s annual competition. My students play in the Contemporary Youth Orchestra as well as the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. Over the past few years I have worked extensively with Documentary Songwriters, a nonprofit organization with a global reach devoted to collaboratively crafting authentic songs from spoken-word stories. I served as Executive Director for three years, and during that time I guided the organization through a comprehensive branding overhaul, created a flagship training program that drew participants from around the world, pulled together a diverse Board of Directors from major arts institutions, and guided the organization through a nation-wide search for my replacement.Since leaving DocSong, I have continued contract work for the organization. Early in 2024, I designed and co-facilitated a three-week course at Oberlin College and Conservatory where students learned the Documentary Songwriting Method, and were then poised to co-write songs with residents at Grafton Correctional Institution, a men’s medium security prison in Ohio. Over the course of my academic career, I have learned that the best education is a well-rounded one. I am excited to continue exploring how my multidisciplinary background can help me design holistic, high-quality education programming for the next generation of musicians.
Experience
Section Cello
Aug 2025 — Present
Education
University of Oregon Clark Honors College
Psychology, Cello Performance
2013 — 2017
Cleveland Institute of Music
Master's degree
2018 — 2020
Cleveland Institute of Music
Doctorate of Musical Arts
2022 — 2024
Liceu Conservatory
Music Performance Certificate
2016 — 2017
Cleveland Institute of Music
Professional Studies Certificate
2020 — 2022
Find verified contacts for anyone on LinkedIn
Unifers gives sales teams verified emails and direct dials, enriched profiles, and outreach that lands in the inbox.
Free plan included · No credit card required
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.