Aoma Caldwell
Cello Faculty
Aoma R. Caldwell enjoys a diverse musical existence as a cellist, chamber musician, and composer. She has performed within a range of genres including traditional classical compositions, works in the contemporary idiom, Baroque chamber music, and traditional Japanese music. Ms. Caldwell received her bachelor's degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Darrett Adkins and Gwen Krosnick. Previously, she studied with Andre Emelianoff and Faith Potter. Also receiving a degree in East Asian Studies and History from Oberlin College, Ms. Caldwell was awarded a Taymor Fund grant to aid in her study of instrumental music in Asia.
An avid chamber musician, Aoma spent her early years as part of a highly active string quartet that shaped her as both a person and a musician. Her favorite quartets include Mendelssohn's Quartet no. 2 in A minor, Op. 13, Shostakovich's eighth string quartet, and Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. Solo engagements include performances at the Oberlin Conservatory, Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and premieres of solo works such as David Sampson's "Flare" for cello, marimba, and orchestra.
Aoma has also found a home in teaching her varied specialties, including accomplishing Suzuki certification and currently serving as a teacher and mentor at Fusion Academy and Lindeblad School of Music. She is passionate about learning languages and believes that language learning and musical development are more similar than dissimilar. Music, in itself, is a language.
Teaching Philosophy
“Aoma believes it's easiest to learn things that feel both magical and attainable. She agrees with the Suzuki philosophy that learning music is like learning a language, and operates on the premise that the musical language is best learned through conversation and relationships. Most importantly, she believes that students join the community of musicians based on their love for music, and she is happy to share her excitement about our shared literature and practices.”