Maria Berenice Hoyos received her degree in cello performance from Antioquia University in Medellin, Colombia and has been teaching and performing professionally for more than 30 years.

She taught cello at the Fine Arts Institute, the “Red de Escuelas de Música” (El Sistema) and Antioquia University. She served as principal cellist in the Medellin Philharmonic from 1998-2002 and frequently performed as a soloist with the orchestra. She is fluent in both Spanish and English.

    Maria came to Sacramento in 2002 for graduate study in cello performance with cellist Andrew Luchansky at CSUS. She is currently the principal cellist with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra and teaches at Sacramento Country Day school and Oasis Music inc. She also played with various orchestras in Napa, Folsom, Auburn and Sacramento.

    Maria is a member of several art associations: the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), the California Music Teachers Association (MTAC) and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA).

She studied the Suzuki method with master teachers Rick Mooney, Carey Cheney, Tanya Carey and Pamela Devenport in Utah, Houston, Colorado, Los Angeles and Stanford University. She has attended several summer orchestral and chamber music workshops in Las Vegas and San Francisco.

She is very involved in local ASTA events and is dedicated to participating in local recitals and competitions with her students.