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All children deserve a good education–that’s something we can all agree on. But there’s an important part of a well-rounded education missing in many students’ curricula: music. Music is seen as an extra-curricular activity, a hobby, and even a passion, but not as an important part of the academic experience. The WSO Academy of Music is here to change that.
Music lessons for kids via private music lessons are astoundingly beneficial to cognitive development and health. Kids who study music or play an instrument aren’t just skilled musically. They score better on tests, develop communication and analytical skills, build healthy self-esteem, recognize the importance of community and cultural understanding, manage stress better–just to name a few!
Lessons are offered all string students in violin, viola and cello.
Call 724-837-1850 for more information or fill out the online request form:
September 2024: The WSO warmly welcomes cellist Kyung Won Jeon, he is accepting new students. Read his bio below.
Cello Teacher – Kyung Won Jeon
Kyung Won Jeon has been dedicated to the cello since the age of 11, graduating from the Seoul Arts High School (SAHS), the most prestigious pre-college level classical music and arts high school in South Korea. After graduating from SAHS, he was accepted into Korea National University of Arts (KNUA) Department of Instrumental Music and received a bachelor’s degree and thereafter a master’s degree in music from KNUA.
Upon completing his studies at KNUA, he initially pursued a doctoral degree in cello performance at Michigan State University (MSU) in Lansing, Michigan. At MSU, he was on a full-tuition scholarship (Stanley and Selma Hollander Endowed Scholarship for First Chair in Cello) and worked as a teaching assistant while he was studying under Professor Suren Bagratuni, a worldly recognized cellist and the winner of the 1986 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
However, in pursuit of studying the orchestral music at a deeper context, Jeon decided to enroll in the Artist Diploma Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he, again, was on a full-tuition scholarship and worked as a teaching assistant. At Duquesne he studied under Anne Martindale Williams, principal cello of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University. Jeon successfully completed his study and received his Artist Diploma from Duquesne in 2008.
While attending the SAHS, Jeon won his first major music competition at a relatively young age by being named a winner of the Chosun Newspaper Competition, the most prestigious classical music competition in South Korea. Three years later, in 1995, he was the winner of the Korean Festival Ensemble Competition, and in 2003, he competed in his first international music competition, Concerto Competition of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom, where he was again named a winner. The Concerto Competition of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra also provided him with his debut at the international stage where he played the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich with the Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his performance with Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra, Jeon has performed as a soloist and with numerous ensembles and orchestras. Many of his prominent performances took place at the Bach Hall in Vienna, Austria; the Tchaikovsky Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in Russia; Fete de la Musique (Music Festival) in Courchevel, France (2002); Osaka University in Osaka, Japan; The Music Auditorium Building at Michigan State University (2005) in Lansing, Michigan; PNC Concert Hall (2007 and 2008) and the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Heritage Ensemble String Quartet Foundation Concert at Ceramic Palace Hall in Seoul and Seoul Art Center in Seoul, South Korea. Jeon also performed in Seoul International Music Festival and the Pan-Asian Music Festival in South Korea, as well as the Vienna Music Festival in Austria.
In addition to his dedication as an educator, Jeon remains active as one of the leading cellists in the world by regularly performing solo recitals and ensemble and orchestra concerts. He does so through his involvement in chamber orchestras and ensembles such as Seoul Soloist Cello Ensemble, Heritage Ensemble, Hanum Chamber Ensemble, and Bliss Piano Trio.
Currently, he is a cello faculty at Seton Hill University. Also, he has provided a masterclass at Pennsylvania State University, Duquesne University, and Slippery Rock University. He continues to stay active as a professional concert artist, a professor and a judge of international competitions in the world.
Violin Teacher – Ramona Coppage
Ramona Coppage, a native of Vienna, Virginia, attended George Mason University and the Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana. Her performing and teaching career began in the greater Washington D.C. area. She has been on the faculty of the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program, where she taught orchestra sectionals at all levels. She was also a member of the Resource Professional Program in the nation’s capital, a government-funded program that placed professional musicians in the public schools. In the Pittsburgh area she holds positions with the Westmoreland Suzuki School and the WSO Academy of Music. She also serves as the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Music Librarian.
