UC Davis and International Teaching
Susan Lamb Cook is currently Lecturer in cello and chamber music at the University of California, Davis. She is sought after as teacher and chamber music coach, and her students perform regularly on the UC Davis campus and throughout the region.
Her UC Davis Cello Festival drew cellists from throughout California for a five-day celebration of master classes and concerts, and the UCD Cello Ensemble had the opportunity to perform for Yo-Yo Ma on one of his visit to the UC Davis campus. Susan has coordinated master classes for her students with the Alexander String Quartet, cellist Zuill Bailey, and the Cypress Quartet.
In 2014 with the support of the Sacramento-based VITA Academy, Susan created The Great Composers Chamber Music Series which presents concerts at UC Davis, the Harris Center, Folsom, and throughout the Sacramento region.
Her visits to China included performances and master classes at the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory, at Xiamen University, and in the cities of Jinan, Liaosheng, Dezhou, Qilu, and Hangzhou.
She has served on faculty for the Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany and the Vianden Festival, Luxembourg as well as on the artistic staff for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria.
School Visits
As a teacher, Susan Lamb Cook is highly regarded as both cellist and chamber musician. In recent years, her focus on music education has taken her to public schools around the region offering performances, presentations, and individual classroom visits. As project director, she developed a multi-media presentation for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, which centered on the life of Antonio Vivaldi and was performed at several schools throughout the Roseville area. Her appearances as artist-in-residence for the Esparto School District were supported by a grant from the Rumsey Community Fund and the Swift Fund for the Arts.
Susan Lamb Cook performs for large assemblies as well as classrooms. Her assembly presentations include an introduction to the string family and its historical context. In using the cello as a solo instrument, she introduces students to listening skills and concert etiquette, while explaining various techniques used to play string instruments. Her individual classroom visits allow students to learn more about the steps it takes to become a professional musician and teacher, from disciplined practice to a lifetime of continued education.
SYS Chamber Music Workshop and Great Composers Series “Rising Stars” Program
From 1990 – 2019, Susan Lamb Cook was director the Sacramento Youth Symphony Chamber Music Workshop, a summer program which offers an intensive week of ensemble playing, introducing young musicians to chamber music literature and rehearsal techniques. Under Susan’s leadership, this exciting program continued to grow and develop, receiving support and recognition from throughout the region as well as from the New York-based organization Chamber Music America and the Association of Chamber Music Players, Inc.
Founded in 2012, the Great Composers Series “Rising Stars” program was designed by Susan Lamb Cook to offer advanced music students the opportunity to study and perform works from the chamber music repertoire in an enriching and supportive environment. This program, which takes place over the course of the winter holiday, provides young musicians with a professional level experience that will help shape their continued musical studies.
Affiliations and Publications
Susan Lamb Cook is an active member of the American String Teachers Association, the Music Teachers Association of California, and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and is co-author with Norman Lamb of Guide to Teaching Strings. She has contributed articles for publication by Chamber Music America and the American String Teachers Association.