Education
A native of Philadelphia, Cathy Kuna grew up listening to the Philadelphia Orchestra (conducted by Riccardo Muti at the time), and the Electric Light Orchestra . She played with the All-City Orchestra and Youth Orchestra of Philadelphia, studied chamber music with Luis Biava, and cello with David Guggenheim. Ms. Kuna earned degrees in cello performance from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (student of David Szepessy, B. Mus., 1985) and Northwestern University (student of Hans Jørgen Jensen, M. Mus., 1990).
Building on that foundation, Ms. Kuna has studied jazz strings with members of the Turtle Island String Quartet, Arabic music with violinist and oudist Simon Shaheen at the Arabic Music Retreat at Mt. Holyoke College, and was mentored by improvising clarinetist James Falzone.
Ms. Kuna began her piano study at the age of 6, and continued that study into undergrad. She enjoys accompanying string players for recitals, auditions, and school solo/ensemble events.
Experience
Ms. Kuna coaches with the Elgin Youth Symphony Chamber Music Institute (2017-present) and the OPUS Chamber Music Camp (2003-present), and teaches private lessons at her home studio in north Wheaton. She has served on the string faculties of College of DuPage (1991-2018), Wheaton College Community School of the Arts (1999-2007), and Judson College.
A veteran chamber music performer, she is a founding member of the Kairos String Quartet (1990 - present), Quartet 61 (an eclectic ensemble of harp, guitar, violin and cello), and a former member of the Woodford and Krizalido piano trios. She is a versatile freelance musician. Ms. Kuna has served as music director at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn since 2014, where she leads the choir and instrumental ensemble, and plays cello, piano, guitar and percussion.
Mixing her classical training with strong influences of global and American roots music, she has performed and recorded with a number of Chicago area rock, folk, and improvising artists, such as Sons of the Never Wrong, Switchback, Terry MacNamara and Dan Zahn. Ms. Kuna had the privilege of performing with erhu artist Ma Xiaohui of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame, and gave a pre-concert lecture for Maya Beiser’s Almost Human performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Ms. Kuna also enjoys composing and arranging for strings and small ensembles.
Ms. Kuna is an experienced clinician for school orchestra and chamber music programs, available for adjudication, coaching, and leading workshops in improvisation and practice techniques.