My primary goal for all of my students is to instill in them a desire to learn and constantly improve their music making. I enjoy guiding and eventually watching my students find their own voice in their music. I hope to cultivate independent, competent, and confident musicians who can experience the incredible power of music.
A native of Moline, IL, Cynthia received her Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and her Master's degree in Piano Performance from the Longy School of Music. Her teachers have included Ruth Slenczynska, Sharon Jensen, Sylvia Wang, Richard Ruggero, Alys Terrien-Queen, and Lois Shapiro. While pursuing her degrees, Ms. Sanger taught private piano and group music and movement classes. She currently teaches piano students of all ages in both private and group settings.
Active as a freelance performer, Boston-based pianist Cynthia Sanger has presented recitals at St. Thomas Kirche, Leipzig and Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. In the US she’s performed at Weill Concert Hall, New York; the Adler Theater, Davenport, IA, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL; and the Gardner Museum, Boston.
Ms. Sanger’s repertoire ranges from Mompou, Persichetti, and Poulenc, to Martinu, Chopin, and Rota. Drawn to music that’s rich with imagery and dance, she also performs piano arrangements of orchestral works such as “Peter and the Wolf,” “Peer Gynt Suite,” and “Rhapsody in Blue” with instrumental soloists.
Recent collaborative projects include composing and directing an arrangement for an outdoor performance of “The Entertainer” and “Simple Gifts” for twelve pianists and three vocalists as part of the Newton Festival of the Arts’ Artful Piano Project. Focused on making music accessible and on audiences having a kinesthetic and participatory experience, Cynthia has also presented a dynamic “movable performance” with 13 mini performances at outdoor instruments stationed along a running route in Newton.
Ms. Sanger believes music starts and resides first and foremost in the body and is currently developing a set of workshops for athletes and musicians that explore the benefits each discipline provides the other.