Teaching has always figured prominently in the professional life of Edward Cremo. Most recently, in Pennsylvania, he taught piano at the Black Bear Conservatory, a preparatory school of music. Previously, he worked with students throughout three decades and in several locales including Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Oregon, and, when a music student himself, in London, England.

While in Portland, Oregon, Mr. Cremo taught piano at the Multnomah Arts Center, a school for music and art. He served on the faculty of Clackamas Community College where he taught music theory and aural skills. Along with his teaching responsibilities, he was engaged as accompanist by vocalists and instrumentalists and served as accompanist for the Oregon Ballet Theatre School. He was a music editor at the Oregon Catholic Press, a publisher of liturgical music. As a compliment to his teaching, he continues to enjoy working as an accompanist, vocal and instrumental coach, and music editor.

Mr. Cremo has worked with many young students throughout a number of years. Some have gone on to choose music as a career; many have chosen other paths. Whether from the former group or the latter, those with whom he has remained in touch look back upon their music studies with fondness and think of the experience as having made a meaningful difference in their lives. His reflections upon these observations have shaped his understanding of the role of teacher and mentor. “My goal, of course, is to help my students become proficient pianists and musicians; to prepare them for music as a profession. However, I’ve come to feel that the primary role of a teacher is to nurture more broadly, to encourage students to be both confident and caring as they move through their lives. I’ve come to consider this to be my most important task.“I try to inspire my students to express generous of spirit, when they look inward and when they look outward. This practice, in my opinion, will help them become more curious, sensitive, and courageous musicians because it will help them become more curious, sensitive, and courageous persons.”

Mr. Cremo has written a number of compositions. They include his orchestral work Turnings, premiered by the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra; String Quartet, premiered by members of the London Bach Orchestra; and two chamber orchestral works, Sound Logic and Requiescat, given their respective premieres by the Premiere Ensemble, of London. The Cooperage Project, a small not-for-profit organization based in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 2012 by his family and a small group of friends is dear to Mr. Cremo.

He remains dedicated to furthering its vision: the cultivation of strong, respectful relationships through a varied program of classes, lectures, performances, and community gatherings. It is the hope of its founders that the work of the Cooperage Project will continue to encourage social awareness, civic engagement, and a commitment to the pursuit of the common good.

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