Felix Umansky

Praised for his “sublime” playing by Cleveland Classical, cellist Felix Umansky is a frequently sought-after recitalist and pedagogue. As cellist of the world-renowned Harlem Quartet, Mr. Umansky is currently Artist-in-Residence at London’s Royal College of Music. One of Mr. Umansky’s missions as a performer is to bring a wide range of music to as many audiences and communities as possible. A native of Carmel, Indiana, Mr. Umansky holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and an Artist Diploma from Yale University. Mr. Umansky currently resides in Westchester County, NY with his wife, violinist Amy Schroeder. They perform regularly as the Schroeder Umansky Duo and enjoy going on scuba diving adventures together.

Over the years I have gained lots of insight and confidence in my approach to teaching students at all levels of musical experience. I feel comfortable in slightly altering my style and approach to best benefit a student's particular learning style, as we all know that no method is universal. My mission is for the student to understand that playing an instrument takes equal parts hard work, focus, and fun, as is the case with most subjects we encounter. I am a firm believer in music education--even if a student does not become a professional musician, music education has been proven to help with other skills, from STEM subjects to creative and critical thinking. It also has been proven to help students function in group and social situations in a more empathetic way.