Lori Hennessy

Lori Hennessy is a third year student in the University of Arizona’s Doctorate of Musical Arts program under the tutelage of Dr. Theodore Buchholz. She holds a B.M. in cello performance and a M.M. in cello performance and Suzuki pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Before attending the University of Arizona as a member of the University Fellows 2023-2024 cohort, Lori spent ten years as a full-time cello instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. During this time, she developed the talent of students as young as three while continuing her education in pedagogy by studying with the most prolific teacher-trainers in the field.  

During the 2023-2024 academic year, Lori served as the cellist in UArizona's Graduate String Ensemble, and in the 2024-2025 academic year Lori won the University of Arizona’s concerto competition in the String Area in collaboration with her colleagues Xiao Wang and Yaowen Mei. The group performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the University of Arizona Symphony at the 2025 President’s Concert. Lori is an epistemic activist who uses critical theory and historical research to further equity in the field of string performance and pedagogy.