​CCW Founder and Director Suzanne Smith has performed and taught for over 30 years. During that time she has developed a philosophy of teaching that includes the whole person in ways that help ignite the creative process, improve technical development, and instill confidence in her students.  A pursuit of excellence at CCW takes place in this context. Cellists leave CelloChanWoods with a new clarity about their personal, technical, and artistic goals.  A highly supportive community of musicians makes this possible.  A serious ZEN practitioner, her teaching has been directly, and positively, impacted by her study of Zen, or Ch’an, Buddhism for the past 30 years.  Ch’an, in the name cellochan or CelloChanWoods, means Zen or to “see deeply.”  Though Buddhism as a religion is not studied here per se, many of the ideas directly relating to acquiring powerful focus, mind/body unification, and open awareness are taught.  Centering meditation and "relaxation in action" classes students locate tension and blocks in their playing.  

Over a period of 15 years, Suzanne attended retreats with the late Zen (Ch'an) Master, Master Sheng Yen, for whom a chair at Columbia University has been dedicated. Master Sheng Yen founded the Dharma Drum Buddhist University in Taiwan and traveled the world extensively.  
https://www.dharmadrum.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng-yen
Suzanne is able to clearly communicate to her students how to effectively sit, move, focus, to be freer at the cello. This retreat accepts students as young as 15 up to adults.  Participants are placed in their appropriate playing level for chamber music playing.  The CelloChanWoods staff is comprised of highly qualified professionals equipped to teach very advanced students of any age, as well as those in the beginning of their cello adventure.  CCW explores ways to clarify and help communicate that well being and the artistic voice must be united for one's best playing.
Janos Starker  "You have to have confidence before you put your hands on the instrument". ​

Ms. Smith has a bachelors in performance from Oberlin Conservatory under the late Richard Kapuscinski, formerly a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  She went on to complete a Masters in Music under Bernard Greenhouse of the Beaux Arts Trio at S. U. N. Y.   After doing two more years of post graduate study with Mr. Greenhouse in New York, she later worked with Janos Starker over a 2 year period from 2010-2012.  She has preformed as chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral performer throughout her life.  Presently she is the principal cellist of the Montpelier, VT. Chamber Orchestra and performs as part of Vermont Virtuosi in Vermont and is semi retired.   

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Suzanne Smith 
449 Moretown Common Rd., Moretown, VT. 05660
[email protected] ~ 802.496.5273
COPYRIGHT 2003