Chizuko "Cheeko" Matsusaka

Cello

First Season with SO: 2002

Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts

Degrees/Colleges: Undergraduate degree from New England Conservatory in Boston with Laurence Lesser and masters degrees at SUNY Stonybrook with Timothy Eddy and at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh with Anne Williams.

Award / Musical Accomplishment you are most proud of: A prizewinner at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Style and make of your instrument: Cello made by English luthier Benjamin Banks from 1790.

Hobbies / interests: Knitting, spinning and writing

Personal Fact / Something you would like people to know about you: Student of Aikido

My dream is to: As a student of Aikido, I would love to return to Japan to visit the original dojo and study Shodo and Ikebana.