Gerall Hieser, violoncello

      Praised for her beautiful tone and musicianship, cellist Gerall Hieser began her musical education in Newport News, Virginia, studying piano and singing harmony with her mother, also a cellist. After moving to Pennsylvania she fell in love with the cello and studied with Metta Watts and Orlando Cole at the New School of Music in Philadelphia. Gerall continued studies with Mr. Cole earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Temple University. She received her Master of Music degree from the Mason Gross School for the Arts at Rutgers University as a student of Paul Tobias.

         In the 1980s she began playing Southern Appalachian style fiddle and traveled to North Carolina and Virginia to study with some legendary old fiddlers including Tommy Jarrell. Gerall has played for square dances and has won a few fiddle competitions!

         Ms. Hieser is a passionate and devoted cello teacher and maintains an active studio at her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and at Drew University.  She is a founding member of  the Madison String Quartet, and performs with the Gabriel Chamber ensemble as well.  Gerall is the Assistant Principal cellist of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and is Music Director of the Vermont Music and Arts Center, a summer program for adult amateur musicians.

         Gerall is married to French Hornist Tony Cecere and they perform as a Duo inventing new sonorities for cello and horn.