DR SOPHIE CELLO LAB:
THE INNER STUDIO
FALL 2025, SEP 1 - DEC 14
Maximum 18 participants
...a transformative, bespoke 15 week online course for cellists*
~12 active tuition weeks, 3 integration weeks
The INNER STUDIO is designed to develop old skills and acquire new ones, at the same time as introducing/becoming better acquainted with some of the great cello masterpieces that require these skills in meaningful musical context.
The goal of the INNER STUDIO is NOT to perfect a piece (this is something that can only be done over a much longer period of time, with ongoing one on one lessons and much quality, dedicated practice).
Rather, it offers you an ongoing safe and exciting place to experiment alongside a supportive community, and to move forward with new and improved skills, as well as a stronger practice routine, increased motivation, and a deeper understanding of the next steps to be taken in your cello journey.
In addition to ongoing customized feedback and recommendations from Dr. Sophie (including identifying individual stumbling blocks), you are invited to create your own adventure (selecting the best material from the course for you at this moment in time), as well as to participate in hands on workshops with Dr Sophie to acquire new skills in real time.
In every INNER STUDIO course, we will explore three pieces (typically, one from the Baroque period, one from the Classical/Romantic period, and one contemporary work).
All the above takes place within a reflective, and supportive community in which we embrace the journey!
FALL 2025
CORE PIECES AND FOCUS AREAS
CORE PIECES
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Courante from Suite No.3 (listen from 7:46) for Solo Cello in C Major, BWV1009 ~ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
...with technical reference to Study No.1 from 40 High School Studies
~ David Popper (1843-1913)
2. An die Musik, arr. for Cello and Piano ~Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
3. Seven for Solo Cello ~Andrea Casarrubios (1988-)
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FOCUS AREAS
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Intonation
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Finger Strength and Dexterity (both hands)
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Coordination Between the Hands
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String Crossings
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Agility
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Tone Production and the Bow Variables
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Expressive and Varied Vibrato
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Developing Listening Skills
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Shifting (focus on moving in and out of the Transitional Positions)
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An Introduction to Extended Techniques
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Reading the Score
*In addition to these topics, each participant picks three additional topics (from a list decided by the participants at the beginning of each Lab) for their Small Group Sessions.
RESULTS
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An increased musical-technical toolkit and digital library to improve your practice and cello playing
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Deeper understanding of the language and structure of music
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Increased self-awareness
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Increased awareness of common practising and technical pitfalls
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Strategies for more focused, effective, and rewarding practice
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Higher motivation
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More confidence, freedom, and ease in playing
METHODOLOGY
2 x pop up challenges Each module, I’ll set a new challenge related to a current topic we're exploring. For example, I could ask you to play a short musical phrase/technical excerpt and record/post this video to the group or to document your own practice as you work through a tricky passage. These challenges are optional but highly recommended. ($200 value)
GROUP & INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
Weekly Workshops
12 x 60 min hands on weekly workshops Each week I’ll lead a live one hour workout. These are hands on skills-learning based workshops with the cello, introducing concepts and putting them into the immediate context of exercises and musical repertoire. This is a chance to play along with Dr Sophie and your colleagues, together trying out musical-technical approaches, exercises and studies, and to ask any questions as they arise! The goal is to increasingly challenge you mentally, musically, and technically in a fun, supportive community environment. ($1800 value)
Weekly Live Studio Class
9 x 60 min live studio classes Each week we will have a one hour live studio class. This is your chance to perform works in progress in a supportive group setting, ask questions, get feedback from your peers, and participate in group discussion. ($1350 value)
Individual Sessions
3 x 60 min one on one sessions with Dr Sophie I'll meet individually with you for one hour each month. We will work together to develop a comprehensive plan to help you advance with tools customized to your specific merits and areas of weakness. ($420 value)
Guest Masterclasses
3 x 2hr guest masterclasses with top internationally-renowned cellists and pedagogues Each month, we will have a 2 hour guest masterclass with top international performers and teachers from the esteemed music schools. This is a very special opportunity to play for the masters; students in conservatories often only have this kind of opportunity as a result of winning a competition. In past Labs, guest artists have included Hamilton Cheifetz, Richard Markson, Guy Johnston, Brinton Averil Smith, Michal Shein, Brant Taylor, Janet Horvath, Brandon Vamos, and Uri Vardi. Guest artists for the Fall 2025 Inner Studio will be announced on this page soon. ($1500 value)
Small Group Sessions
3 x 90 min small group sessions with Dr Sophie, each focusing on one of several topics you choose Work with two other students in small groups, learning from each other and the personalized feedback you receive from Dr. Sophie and your peers. These 90-minute sessions will occur once a month and focus on one of several topics you choose. ($600 value)
Cello Lab Online Performance
To celebrate and share our work with family and friends, a live online YouTube performance will be scheduled at the end of the 3rd module. All participants are invited to perform (with live/recorded accompaniment) a piece of their choice. ($100 value)
PRACTICE GUIDANCE
& CUSTOMIZED FEEDBACK FROM DR. SOPHIE
Individual Assessment of Your Progress During the Lab
During the first week of Lab, you will make a recording of one of the core pieces (or a section of it, as you feel comfortable). At the end of the Lab, armed with the knowledge and skills that you have acquired/are developing during the Lab, you will then rerecord the same piece. These recordings will be assessed by one of our Guest Artists for progress, according to a set list of criteria determined by Dr. Sophie. ($200 value)
Customized Cello Edge Plan
Before classes start, we will work together to create a list of 3-7 five minute “daily practice commitments” to support your journey... ...These will be a combination of exercises towards your personal cello goals and to help strengthen any areas of weakness you or I feel may be holding you back.($200 value)
Weekly Practice Proposals
12 x 60 min weekly written practice session proposals For each of the 12 tuition weeks, you will receive a 60 minute weekly practice session proposal (these are offered with options of varying degree of difficulty, to suit your current playing level). These proposals always incorporate the musical-technical tools we discuss in that week's Weekly Workout. ($1200 value)
Practice Journal
At the beginning of the course, Dr. Sophie will send you a link to your own digital Practice Calendar, with areas for Notes and Reflections. Whether you opt for the digital version, or a hard copy, taking notes before, during and after your practice time is highly recommended.($30 value)
Customized Feedback on Your Video Recordings and Practice Journal
6+ x customized feedback from Dr. Sophie on video recordings, and your Practice Journal Regular self-video recordings are a wonderful tool for self-improvement. In Cello Lab you are encouraged to make at least one short weekly recording of something you are practising (it can range from just a few bars of an exercise to an entire piece) and to write your own self-critique of it. ($600 value)
In addition, Dr. Sophie will provide you with customized feedback throughout the course, including on your Studio Class recordings, Pop Up Challenges (optional) and during Weekly Workouts.
ADDITIONAL (OPTIONAL) PERKS
Online Community Group
An exclusive access (optional) Facebook group is where you can come to share questions and discoveries about your cello work with the rest of us. In addition, 3+ Student "Reflection/Community" hour zoom calls will be scheduled during the course of the Lab as a way to connect more and share ideas with your cello community. ($400 value)
Pop Up Challenges
GUEST MASTERCLASSES
Xenia Jankovic was born in Serbia (then Yogoslavia), she studied in Russia (then Soviet Union) with Mstislav Rostropovich and Stefan Kalianov, in Switzerland with Pierre Fournier and Guy Fallot and in Germany with
André Navarra. Later her most important teachers were György Sebök and Sandor Vegh. Over the last decade she has made a number of recordings
including Bach´s Cello Suites, integral works for cello and piano by Beethoven (played on the period instruments), sonatas and pieces by Brahms, Chopin, Frank, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and Jevtic and
concertos by Haydn, Dvorak, Elgar, Prokofiev, Khachaturian and Shostakovich. An active chamber music player and regular participant at many
chamber music festivals, she is a member of the Hamlet Piano Trio, which performs on both modern and period instruments and has made recordings of Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Schubert Piano Trios.
Jankovic was artistic director of the chamber music festival Musikdorf Ernen from 2006 to 2017. In 2018 she founded the Inspirimus project as a reflection of her artistic, pedagogical and spiritual work. This project is inspired by the desire to engage more profoundly and responsibly with art and life in general.
Recently, Jankovic has been arranging and playing with smaller ensembles, in particular the Ensemble Inspirimus, which she founded in 2020. Xenia Jankovic is Professor of Cello at the Detmold University of Music, Germany and gives masterclasses worldwide. She plays a cello made in 1733 in the Montagnana workshop by Gregorio Antoniazzi of Colle and a modern cello made by Ragnar Haydn in 2014 in Berlin. www.xenia-jankovic.com
Praised by The New York Times for performances that "traversed the palette of emotions" with "gorgeous tone and an edge-of-seat intensity," GRAMMY® Award-nominated Spanish-American cellist and composer Andrea Casarrubios has been commissioned by world-class orchestras, ensembles, and soloists and appeared as a featured soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Her compositions have been programmed by organizations including Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, and the Sphinx Organization, and have been broadcast on NPR as well as national radio stations in Argentina, Brazil, France, Sweden, Australia, and Spain.
The title work from her album SEVEN, described as"an intense and elegiac tribute to the essential workers during the pandemic" (The New York Times), was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Casarrubios was born in a small Spanish mountain village, where she began piano studies at age two and cello at age four. She moved to the U.S. when she was 18 to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree from Johns Hopkins University, later receiving her Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the City University of New York. Her teachers have included Maria de Macedo, Amit Peled, Marcy Rosen, Ralph Kirshbaum, and John Corigliano. Often incorporating her own compositions into her recital programs, Casarrubios began accepting commissions and writing for other musicians when she was 24. Learn more at www.andreacasarrubios.com
B.Mus, St Olaf College; MM, Ball State University. Benjamin Kulp is a much beloved cello instructor at The Upper Valley Music Center. He graduated from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor’s in Music Performance, and a Master of Music from Ball State University and is also a registered Music Together teacher. He is a former member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Ben is an active solo and chamber performer in the NH and VT area and recently completed his third performance of the entire Six Bach Cello Suites and enjoys bringing new and contemporary music to audiences.
QUESTIONS
How much does the Inner Studio course cost?
The cost for the full 15 week course is $1575, ie. ca $100 per week/ ca $40/60 min session plus all additional materials, community experience etc (total valued at $8600 --see breakdown of costs under "Methodology" section above). Payment options include a single payment in full or three installments of $525 each.
Are there any bonuses or discounts available?
Sign up BY AUGUST 26 to receive the following bonuses...
~Four months of the PRACTICE ROOM* (worth $600) during the Inner Studio course (September - October -November -December)
~(A Pre-Course) Community Inner Studio Chat: This will be a relaxed, intentional gathering for those stepping in at the very beginning. We will explore what we can do together as a community
* Learn more about the PRACTICE ROOM & how it is designed to compliment the INNER STUDIO
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REFER A FRIEND (or more!) DISCOUNT
Both you AND your friend receive a $200 discount each (this option will remain open to cellists who have registered until the registration deadline on Monday, August 26 or when 18 students have enrolled, whichever comes first)
How do I register for the course, and what is the selections process?
To register for the course (during an open registration period), please first register your interest by submitting this form. I will then email you to set up a 30 minute meeting time for us to chat a bit about your cello goals for your potential Inner Studio"Cello Edge" Practice Plan, and to determine if it is a good fit for you. For this meeting, I will also ask you to send me a short recording of your playing ahead of time. The recording should include: i) a short piece/section of a piece, and ii) your choice of two scales
When does registration close?
Places are limited. Registration for the course will close when 18 students enroll or on Monday, August 26 (whichever comes first).
What do I need for the course?
You need a reliable internet connection and a device that can run Zoom. A quality microphone such as this one that I use, and hi-speed internet connection are recommended, but not required. If at all possible, the experience is also improved using a desktop computer versus an iPad/iPhone.
How long does the course run?
The course runs from September 1 through December 14, 2025. There will be three integration weeks when no group activities will be held. You can use this time to absorb more of the course material, catch up on material you’ve missed, or to simply take a break.
What is your refund policy?
If for any reason you feel the Cello Lab is not a good fit for you within 14 days of the start of the course, you may receive a credit for your registration fee in the form of one on one lessons with Dr. Sophie. After that point, students are committed to paying for the entire course.
I'm busy or my schedule changes frequently. What if I can't attend some of the live weekly meetings?
Not to worry! Recordings are made of ALL classes and will be available within 48-72 hours of the original class date for you to review at a more convenient time. You will receive a link to a YouTube Cello Lab Playlist following the first Weekly Workout/Studio Class.
When will the group sessions be held?
If for any reason you feel the Cello Lab is not a good fit for you within 14 days of the start of the course, you may receive a credit for your registration fee in the form of one on one lessons with Dr. Sophie. After that point, students are committed to paying for the entire course.
I'm a beginner. Is this course for me?
Cellists at just about any level can benefit from this course, although most cellists who enroll are intermediate to advanced/professional level. Complete the initial registration form below and we can determine if the course is the right fit for you.
PARTICIPANT REFLECTIONS
“Beyond the weekly training classes with Dr Sophie, the small group sessions, masterclasses, bi-weekly challenges and videos really breathed new life into my practice sessions as I have new techniques, tools and ideas to explore further and incorporate into my muscle memory... Overall, the Cello Lab has been a transformative experience for me, and I am excited to continue my musical journey with my newfound skills and confidence.”
~Carla K.
“I was a little apprehensive about signing up at first because I am not an expert cellist, but there were cellists at varying abilities participating, and there was ...a lot in it...for everyone...I’m going to be able to continue to refer to the course materials and practice all the things that Dr Sophie taught...She’s a very skilled cellist, but she’s also an extraordinary teacher. She is technically knowledgeable and adept, but more importantly, she’s patient and positive. I think we all enjoyed the course and I would take another course by her without hesitation. I highly recommend her Cello Lab for everyone.”
~Stephanie S.
"Dr Sophie is a great teacher! She's not intimidating or overpowering or any of that, and explains things really well."
~Leslie H. (professional cellist)
“Dr Sophie Cello Lab is a wonderful opportunity to take a look at all things involved in playing the cello, and the toolkit she offers makes it possible to improve in a systematic way. The group experience...added a new dimension to lessons and classes. Dr Sophie is a really great teacher, and I appreciate her candid but polite and positive feedback. I appreciate her approach which is always supportive and courteous, but not at the expense of being helpful and direct.”
~Steve S.
“...Thank you so much for all the cello knowledge you have shared in this wonderful course. Your efforts will pay dividends to your students for years to come...my last lesson felt... transformative, getting a good glimpse of the sound I can make. It's not there all the time, but I'm hearing it more often... I have much more work to do so it is consistent...thank you for helping me develop as a cellist. Now off to practice!"
~Patricia M.
“The chance to interact with professors of this level of musical knowledge and mastery of the instrument, starting with the leader of the lab, makes everything absolutely worth it”
~Felipe E.
"Thank you again for a wonderful two weeks of learning! I was introduced to so many new concepts and ideas, and they will be techniques I will use for the length of my cello journey. You were fabulous to work with and I am grateful to have had this opportunity.”
~Ridie G.
"“I've really enjoyed your course, Sophie, and learned a lot that was either new or a good review. Your teaching style, even at a distance, is very warm, sensitive and kind, a rare gift and one that inspires."
~Linda M.
“Thank you Sophie for all your support, teachings, suggestions and kindness. I'm so glad I signed up for the program.”
~Melanie M.
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Cello Lab and I highly recommend it.”
~Sophie H.