Julia Wen

Julia Wen is based in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and enjoys an active performing and teaching life. Inspired by her own instructors, she is enthusiastic about supporting the next generation of conscientious musicians. Julia is the assistant director of the annual Chicago Suzuki Institute and combines her love for teaching and administration in this position. She teaches cello at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Winnetka campus and from her home studio in Lake Barrington. Past teaching positions include the Arlington Heights School District 25 Music for Youth Suzuki program, Peabody Preparatory and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s El-Sistema-inspired program, ORCHKids. A certified Suzuki teacher, Ms. Wen has completed pedagogy training with Jean Dexter, Dr. Tanya Carey, and Sally Gross.

In addition to teaching, Julia finds joy serving her community through music by leading worship at her home church or facilitating recitals for her students and peers. She is currently pursuing certification as a therapeutic musician through the Music for Healing and Transition Program. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Julia holds a particular love for cello ensembles. While studying at the Peabody Conservatory, she took advantage of its Creative Access program to recruit fellow cellists as performers for hospital, homeless shelter, and retirement communities. Julia also wrote for the CREDO music blog, a musical organization dedicated to training youth in excellent musicianship and service in the context of Christian fellowship.

Julia earned her Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore with Alan Stepansky, former Associate Principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic. She completed additional studies in Pedagogy with Bai-Chi Chen and Baroque Cello with Dr. John Moran. Ms. Wen finished her Bachelor of Music degree at Roosevelt University with Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Richard Hirschl; and was a student of former Lyric Opera of Chicago principal cellist Daniel Morgenstern. The teacher who inspired it all, however, was a woman of incomparable talent and dedication: Gilda Barston.