Nora Willauer

Title: Assistant Lecturer
Dept/Program: Music - String

Biography

Nora Willauer serves as adjunct cello faculty at the University of Akron. She is a passionate musician, devoted not only to her instrument, but also to the relationship between music and community. Her love for teaching has recently led her to pursue a doctoral degree program at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Ms. Willauer also holds a Masters Degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy, and a Professional Studies Certificate from CIM. 
 
Ms. Willauer can be found performing with the Halcyon String Quartet, Cleveland Pops, Columbus Pro Musica and with the Ashland Symphony as Principal Cello. She also tours nationally with "Love Finds Judy Garland," a genre-bending trio featuring CIM faculty and alumni. 
 
Ms. Willauer believes that musicians have the power to change our world through projects that challenge and inspire audiences. This belief has guided her over the past few years in her work as Executive Director of Documentary Songwriters, an internationally recognized non-profit organization devoted to bearing witness through authentic songwriting based on spoken word stories. 
 
As a teacher, Ms. Willauer leans on her multidisciplinary background to create a well-rounded curriculum that gives her students a strong technical foundation, helps them develop convincing musical ideas, and also sets them up to excel in our rapidly changing world. Musicians today need to not only be excellent players—they need to be able to communicate effectively, market themselves, and create exciting new projects that will help shape the future of music.