Cleveland Center for Suzuki Studies
About Tracy
Tracy Rowell started her first group of five-year old bassists twenty years ago. “Teaching young bass students is a labor of love for me, it’s a source of great personal joy. I love to be part of a student’s progression and enjoy learning music together.” Happily, Tracy’s young bassists studio continues on through the Cleveland Center for Suzuki Studies.
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Tracy’s students participate in Cleveland area youth ensembles such as the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Contemporary Youth Orchestra, and Tri-C jazzfest Academy. They regularly attend fun summer programs such as Bassworks, Interlochen, and Tanglewood, and have been accepted into Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestras.
While serving on the International Society of Bassists Board of Directors as Education Chair, Ms. Rowell co-directed the Young Bassists Program at ISB Conventions in 2019, 2021,and 2023. She led the fundraising effort in 2019 to create the George Wellington and George Vance Scholarship Fund. Tracy is a founding member of the Project for All Gender Equality (PAGE) and League of Women Bassists (LOW-B).
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Tracy is Associate Professor of Bass at Oberlin Conservatory. She teaches at summer programs such as the Sarasota Music Festival, the BUTI Bass Workshop, and Bassworks Maryland. Tracy regularly presents classes at schools such as Colburn, USC, Northwestern, Peabody and Rice University.
Formerly the Assistant Principal Bass of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Tracy currently serves as principal bassist of Citymusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and also performs with Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Tracy founded the Pantheon Ensemble and has performed with ensembles such as the Cavani, St Lawrence, Jasper, and Parker Quartets.
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Tracy received her BMus from Rice University, studying with Paul Ellison. She received her MMus from Boston University, studying with Edwin Barker. In 2022, she received the Performance Diploma and Teaching Certificate from the Institut International Rabbath.