About
A classically trained cellist, Tara has performed worldwide across the United States, Europe, Central America and South America. Tara is a graduate from the Professional Studies program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She received her Masters degree in cello performance on full scholarship from the University of Miami, and her Bachelors degree in cello performance with High Honors from the University of Michigan. Her teachers include Richard Aaron, Ross Harbaugh, Anthony Elliott, and Louis Potter, Jr..
Tara has been a member of the Akron Symphony since coming to Cleveland in 2004. She is a founding member of the Azalea String Quartet, which recently competed in the finals round of the Hugo Kauder International String Competition and the J. C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. Tara is also the cellist and booking manager for the Mayfield String Quartet, a group in demand for weddings and various functions around the Greater Cleveland area.
As an educator, Tara is on the faculties of the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory School, Beck Center for the Arts, Fairmount Center for the Arts and the Avon School of Music, and also teaches a limited number of private in-home students. Tara is a dedicated teacher and loves working with students of all ages and skill levels. She is trained and certified in the Suzuki Cello Method, and incorporates traditional cello pedagogy in her teaching.
No stranger to the non-classical world of cello, Tara has played cello with several non-classical artists, bands and in various projects. Currently she is playing cello for the Cleveland-based Indie band, Goodmorning Valentine, who is currently working on recording a new album. Prior to Goodmorning Valentine, Tara spent 4 years performing and writing music with Unsparing Sea. US released 2 albums and performed at several venues around Cleveland, Ohio, and the east coast. In 2008, Unsparing Sea performed at the North by Northeast Film and Music Festival in Toronto.
Other musical projects have culminated in some exciting exposure on YouTube and national televison. In 2008, Tara was voted a Top 3 Finalist in the 2008 My Grammy Moment Contest on YouTube. As a result, she performed live with the Foo Fighters at the 2008 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Along with performing "The Pretender" with the Foo Fighters as part of the My Grammy Moment Orchestra, Tara was introduced on national television and performed a short improvised solo, in front of a live audience and an estimated 17.5 million viewers at home. Tara's My Grammy Moment audition video can be viewed on YouTube.
A recent long-distance musical collaboration led to a really cool musical video recording of the the traditional turkish song, "Yalgazim." It involves vocals from Dilek in Berlin, piano from Yosun in Miami, and cello form Tara in Cleveland. You can view the finished product on YouTube.
Tara has performed with many notable artists on tours and concerts, including Kanye West, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, the Trans Siberian Orchestra, Patrizio Buanne, Smokey Robinson, Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Slatkin, Benjamin Zander, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Sarah Chang, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, and John Corigliano. Tara is an alumnist of the Henry Mancini Institute, the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She is a member of the Cleveland Cello Society and the New Directions Cello Association.
A few albums Tara can be found on include:
