Cann Duo

Sisters Michelle and Kimberly Cann have been making music together since they were in elementary school in Florida.

Both grew up playing multiple instruments — steel drums, bassoon, violin, trombone and tuba, to name a few — but the piano was their first love. They won many of the same competitions (often simultaneously in the junior and senior divisions!) performed as soloists with the same ensembles, such as the Florida Orchestra, and worked with many of the same artists, including Christopher O’Riley, host of the nationally syndicated radio and TV show, “From the Top”. They have performed across the USA including a recent Washington, DC debut at the National Gallery. The sisters are both passionate about outreach and education. Their masterclasses and recitals have been praised as enormously fun, interactive and informative.

Kimberly Cann made her solo début at age 12 and her orchestral debut (with Beethoven´s “Emperor” Concerto) at age 13. She received her Masters Degree from the Eastman School of Music (studying with Barry Snyder), and in 2006, accepted the positions of Visiting Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence at Northern Caribbean University (Jamaica). Kimberly is the Founding Director of Piano Lab Studio, whose faculty contain fellow professional artists committed to providing a unique, well-rounded music education for two-year-old beginners to aspiring concert artists and adult amateurs in their nineties. She also founded an El Sistema-inspired program called “Keys for Kidz” which is geared towards providing free group-piano instruction for under-served children. Kimberly has functioned as a board member of the Asheville Symphony, Asheville Piano Forum, and other organizations. She maintains a thriving teaching studio in Asheville, NC and performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician.