Megan Koch - cello

As an avid chamber musician, Megan Koch has traveled the world, bringing along her love for music and teaching. She currently teaches with Musicians for the World, teaching students in Africa and South America. In collaboration with Musicians for the World and EcoAcordes, Megan travelled to Iquitos, Peru in April 2024 to lead a cello workshop there, which included lessons, a recital, and a lecture. As a founding member of the Rivendell String Quartet, she had the opportunity to travel to Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic, in association with the United States Department and Carnegie Hall.  There, the quartet performed several concerts, coached aspiring young conservatory students, and experienced the rich culture of both countries.  The quartet also traveled to Singapore, where they mentored young musicians at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, and performed alongside faculty, as well as at the US Embassy of Singapore. Megan Koch has performed alongside Robert Mann, Michael Kannen, Ian Swenson, and Steven Dann, and has worked extensively with many of the world’s foremost musicians, among them Joan Tower, Pamela Frank, Menahem Pressler and the Tokyo String Quartet.  Locally, she has played with the Nth Degree Chamber Ensemble, the new music ensemble Verdant Vibes, and the Meeting House Chamber Music Festival.  She frequently collaborates with pianist Andrew Welch, performing with him and other local musicians in various chamber concerts around New England.

     Megan’s love of music and nature has inspired many projects, including the composition of “Water is Life” by Kirsten Volness, a piece about climate change written for two cellos and voice, based on photography of Julia Cumes, which was premiered by Beyond the Bounds in 2022. This piece was also the topic of a lecture that Megan gave in Peru about climate change in 2024. In addition, Megan formed Bay Area Cello Collective with cellist, Robin Snyder in 2020 during the Covid 19 pandemic with the idea of bringing music to parks and outdoor venues for all to enjoy. Bay Area Cello Collective gave an outdoors performance at Montalvo Arts Center as the first group of The Listening Hour.

     Megan Koch has a Masters Degree in chamber music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Jean-Michel Fonteneau, and holds a Bachelors of Music degree from the Peabody Institute, where she studied with Alan Stepansky.  Megan resides in Rhode Island and is a member of Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.

     Megan plays on an old German cello acquired from her teacher, Jean-Michel Fonteneau and labeled Leopold Wildhalm, 1768.

Website: megankoch.com

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