Cellist Sasha Ono.
SASHA ONO / COURTESY
Kayla Werth, Contributor
Two-time Grammy winning cellist Sasha Ono has recently joined Manhattan University faculty. Ono is currently serving as an adjunct professor in the communication, sound and media arts department.
Ono is featured on two Grammy winning songs and is on soundtracks for streaming networks such as Netflix, Disney Pixar, Hulu and Amazon Prime. In recent years, Ono has performed a variety of orchestrations for many well known singers, late night shows and televised performances in addition to substituting in the broadway orchestrations of Moulin Rouge and Suffs. Along with serving as an adjunct professor at MU, Ono is also currently playing cello on the JJ Lin Tour: Final Lap 2.0.
Ono talked with The Quadrangle and shared her journey on joining the MU community.
“The head of the music department, they were looking for a cello instructor for some students and we had been in touch and then through various coincidences, I happened to know the orchestral instructor, Sharon Gunderson,” Ono said. “We talked through how Manhattan University may be a good fit for me and how I could be most useful to the university, teaching students and expanding upon the university’s goals as a music department, bringing opportunities to the students and talking about my own experiences as a performer and how that can be helpful to the program.”
Ono also shared with The Quadrangle her excitement on encapsulating her career experiences into lessons for students.
“I’m really excited to show students how to expand upon the university sound studies, like vision about how sounds are so prevalent in different ways,” Ono said. “So I’m excited to expand upon that through the lens of my experience as a cellist.”
Mark Pottinger, Ph.D, spoke with The Quadrangle about welcoming Ono to the university’s communication, sound and media arts department.
“She came highly recommended and I took a look at her resume and she’s fantastic, she has her masters degree, she’s also a performer with many different types of groups, from rock and pop to K-pop, to Asian pop, pop from Singapore, but also with ensembles in orchestras,” Pottinger said. “She specializes in primarily trying to present music of people on the margins that are not in the standard repertoire”
Pottinger talked about the unique ideas Ono is bringing to the table as a member of the department.
“She’s really trying to embrace not just the idea of being a classical musician, but being an advocate for the power of music in people’s lives and trying to explore that in different ways and the type of music she plays but also in her discussions…the goal for me is just to showcase who she is to the rest of the student body.” Pottinger said.
In fall 2024, Ono began coaching student Kevin Cullin, a junior majoring in English with a minor in theater. Cullin discussed with The Quadrangle how it has been working with Ono over the past two semesters.
“I never really had a lot of confidence in myself but working with her, it’s probably been the biggest jump in confidence I’ve had,” Cullin said. “She really makes sure you understand what you’re doing… It’s very much guiding, she’s very calm with it. It leads to an understanding that once I have something figured out, a lot of other things go into play really easily…She’s just fantastic to work with and I look forward to everything that we do.”
For those hoping to have a chance to hear her play, Ono will be featured in the MU faculty showcase this April.