Elina Chekan

Elina Chekan is a Lecturer and Classical Guitar Director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Music Department. She directs the Suzuki and Pre-College Guitar Program, combining performance and teaching careers. Her expertise includes classical guitar performance, pedagogy, and chamber music arrangement. She holds a DMA in Guitar Performance from Northwestern University, MM from Yale University, and MEd from Belarus National Academy of Music.

• Education:
• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Guitar Performance, Northwestern University
• Master of Music (MM), Yale University School of Music
• Master of Education (MEd), Belarus National Academy of Music

Her research focuses on innovative teaching methods, including Suzuki guitar education and tailored pedagogical approaches. She actively commissions student repertoire and collaborates with composers like Jorge Morel. Notable performances include Chamber Music Milwaukee and Brussels Royal Museum of Musical Instruments. She received the Louis and Anne Rosoff Award during her Yale tenure.

As a conductor and arranger, Chekan leads a 60-member guitar orchestra at the Usdan Center for the Performing Arts. She emphasizes early technical and musicianship foundations for students, using diverse repertoire and adaptive teaching strategies.