Student Spotlight: Lavie Huang
July 23rd, 2025
"Being part of MIC is more than just taking lessons. It’s really fun to be at MIC’s different campuses. The teachers I work with for my lesson, group classes, musicianship, and chamber music are all very supportive...Even though MIC is a big music school, everyone can find their place with a sense of belonging."
When Lavie Huang first heard Yo-Yo Ma’s The Swan on the radio at age six, she immediately knew she wanted to play the cello. That spark led to nine years of cello lessons—eight of them with Avi Friedlander at the Music Institute of Chicago—and a full-circle moment last year when she attended a Yo-Yo Ma concert, even getting his autograph and a photo. “It was a moment of finally meeting my initial inspiration hero who got me started on cello,” she says. “He sounded as beautiful as I heard on the radio for the first time.”
For her mother, Ohran, music always felt like a natural path. “Lavie was always singing, dancing, and composing since she was a baby. I am glad that she picked her own instrument for herself.”
Lavie’s curiosity and musical voice have flourished under her teacher’s guidance. “When I started studying the cello with Avi Friedlander, he told me that he played the cello for a jazz and rock band for about a decade,” she says. “It was a surprise for me because up until then, I thought that the cello was used solely for classical music. So then, I asked him to teach me some rock and blues, which I found really fun in a different way from classical music.”
She adds, “Mr. Friedlander always encourages me to be myself even when it comes to playing the cello and that has helped me develop my own sense of musicianship.”
Her mother has seen the impact. “Lavie has grown so much as a whole person since starting cello at MIC. She always loves to go to her lessons and have fun there. It is so great that Mr. Friedlander makes it easy for her to enjoy the music. He truly pays attention to who this student is as a person even before as a musician. So, he understands what works for Lavie and helps her not to lose interest in playing the cello. This kind of teaching has helped Lavie grow to be a more well-rounded person.”
That support has nurtured Lavie’s motivation and growth over the years. “Lavie started as a Suzuki student who just loved to play the cello,” her mom recalls. “Then, she started to make goals on her own about her cello playing. Throughout the years, she got more involved with her solo and group performances. She has been a Merit Scholar at MIC since 2022, and that also has given her a sense of being a more responsible musician.”
Through consistent, high-quality music instruction, Lavie has learned to approach challenges with confidence. “As I was performing for the final round, my bow started slipping because it was wearing out really badly with a terrible condition and my thumb was actually bleeding,” Lavie shares about a past competition. “This also happened as I was playing a really fast passage. I could have stopped completely or given up altogether in the middle of it but I kept going and finished it really strong.”
Not only did she win first place, but she was awarded the professional bow prize, given to a promising cellist across all divisions, including collegiate. “This was one of my proudest moments as a musician about myself not giving up in adversity and being able to handle the situation with my best even if I was scared,” she shares. “Learning music has also taught me persistence and patience because you need a lot of those attributes during your practice and musical journey in general.”
Music provides her with a way to share stories. “The things I love the most about playing music is the sheer joy and thrill of playing for others. Performing is an act of sharing for me. I like telling my stories through the pieces I play and when I feel connected with the audience, it brings me so much joy.”
One standout memory came during a masterclass with Richard Aaron at the Ascent Cello Festival. “I could literally feel that the audience was feeling what I was feeling,” she recalls. “From the stage, I saw the audience nodding their heads feeling the beats and I knew we were all sharing and experiencing the same emotions through this music I was playing and that kind of experience for me was so powerful like I was on a mission.”
Lavie’s creativity extends beyond music. She also enjoys drawing, writing stories, dancing ballet, and competing on her school’s robotics team. “Presenting something I worked hard on to others and watching people enjoy my product are very satisfying.”
For her mother, watching Lavie’s journey has been deeply meaningful. “I always tell Lavie that I hope you have fun with your instrument. We all understand that it is not always about fun and the actual work that is needed on your instrument playing is not easy. It requires so much commitment and determination,” she says. “The most meaningful part of watching Lavie learn and perform music is what she brings to the stage after going through those struggles. Whenever I see her joy, excitement, and passion during her performance, I am very proud of her because I know the efforts she puts in daily.”
Music has brought the whole Huang family closer. “Music has always been part of my family’s daily life but we all have grown together with a greater appreciation of classical music over the years,” says Ohran. Lavie’s cello playing has especially influenced her younger brother, Godwin, who is also a cellist at MIC. “The cello music has been basically a lullaby for him also since his sister usually practices at his bedtime ever since he was a baby. We can’t imagine our daily life without music.”
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