Scottish-American cellist and pianist Hannah MacLeod thrives on life performance. With experience in solo, chamber, recorded and new music, she has found a natural affinity in orchestral playing and is particularly drawn to Romantic, symphonic works. Her love of orchestral playing has led to recent fellowships with the National Orchestra Institute and the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival, as well as playing assistant principal at the Miami Music Festival.
While orchestra is her main love, past summer festivals also include intensive chamber music experience at California Summer Music and the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota’s Northern Lights Chamber Music Institute. These festivals particularly appealed to Hannah for combining a challenging musical experience in the context of the natural beauty and great outdoors of Northern California and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. When not playing cello, Hannah can be found outside, running, cycling or swimming and considers herself an advocate for sustainability and environmental causes.
Spending summers outside was a welcome change of scene after four intense years in New York City. In May 2016, Hannah graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University, with a B.M. in cello performance and a minor in linguistics. At NYU, she studied with Eric Jacobsen and Eileen Moon. She became involved with new music, performing in the 2013 New York premiere of the Yves Klein Monotone Silence Symphony and in Pulsing and Shaking, NYU’s new music festival, since it’s inaugural season. Most importantly, while in New York, she discovered the joy of teaching at UpBeat NYC, an El Sistema inspired nucleo based in the South Bronx. Her passion for El Sistema brought her to the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where as a teaching fellow and the Roman and Melanie Totenberg Scholar, she has been heavily involved in Longy’ El-Sistema Side-by-Side Orchestra. At Longy, she is pursuing her M.M. in cello performance, studying under Nicholas Tzavaras.
Hannah also has an extensive piano background, beginning lessons at age six. She is particularly drawn to minimalist, soundtrack music and finds learning pieces for fun the ultimate hobby. She also has experience playing piano chamber music and accompanying.
Prior to attending NYU, Hannah spent a post-graduate year at Interlochen Arts Academy, having previously spent five summers at Interlochen Arts Camp. During that year, she performed across the country, in Interlochen's 50th Anniversary Orchestra Tour, which culminated at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Each year Hannah makes a homecoming to Interlochen, establishing herself as an integral member of the camp life staff.
Birthday - September 21st
Schools Attended - Interlochen, New York University, Longy
Instruments You Teach - Cello, Piano
Age you Started Lessons - 4
Favorite Music to Listen to - Classical, Singer-songwriter and whatever my brother is playing (he's a DJ!)
Favorite Music to Play - I love playing in orchestra and being a part of a large section and having fun with my stand partner!
Other hobbies/interests - Yoga, biking, swimming, animals. I love being outside and spending time with my dogs!
Something most people don't know about you - I dressed up as cello one year for halloween.
Where you were born/grew up - I was born in Scotland and then moved to Minneapolis when I was ten
Hero(es) - Jacqueline du Pre, Anoushka Shankar,
Practice Tips - Practicing in front of a mirror