Cade Braynen

Cade Braynen is a pianist from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania. Having received their Bachelor of Music from Lawrence University, they are continuing their education at University of Colorado-Boulder, where they will be pursuing a Master’s in Piano Performance.

Some of Cade’s favorite musical activities are accompanying, chamber music, and singing in choirs, with a special interest in early Baroque/Renaissance repertoire. They are an advocate for increasing accessibility and diversity in the classical music world, and want to help create spaces that welcome all musicians who also happen to be disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, BIPOC, etc.

Examples of recent academic work in this area are presentations on gender dynamics in piano literature, an illustrative comic about the life of the black composer Joseph Boulogne, a programming project featuring mostly living, disabled composers, and an essay on the blurred lines of gender & sexuality in music.

Cade’s accomplishments include receiving a full scholarship to participate in the 2018 Decoda Chamber Music Festival, winning first place in Music School of Delaware’s Piano Competition, and being awarded Lawrence’s Presidential Conservatory Scholarship. During their 5 years in undergrad, they have worked on solo and collaborative projects with a number of distinguished instructors, such as Michael Mizrahi, David Kaplan, David Bell, and Alicia Lee.

As a teacher, Cade believes in holistically guiding students to their goals, cultivating a warm & friendly environment, and respecting the student as a whole person. They are accommodating of all learning styles and love making the classroom as fun and encouraging as possible. Aside from piano, Cade has experience playing viola, organ, harpsichord, and singing as a tenor. When they’re not playing music, they enthusiastically partake in amateur astronomy and stargazing. Other interests include drawing comics, board & video games, reading, community outreach, and working with animals.