Who we are:
Established in 2023 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Bernhardt–Kowal–Willauer (BKW) Trio is comprised of pianist and Principal Keyboard of the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Jacob Bernhardt, violinist and Concertmaster of the Canton Symphony Orchestra Konrad Kowal, and cellist and educator Nora Willauer. As participants of the Advanced Piano Trio Program at CIM, the BKW Trio received coaching from Sharon Robinson, Jaime Laredo, Kathryn Brown, and Anita Pontremoli and now perform recitals in the Cleveland area. Highlights of the 25-26' season include the BKW Trio’s debut at the Buffalo Chamber Music Society in March 2026, performing a program of works by Beethoven, Jennifer Higdon, and Dvořák.
Meet The Trio
Jacob Bernhardt
Jacob Bernhardt holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CIM, where he studied with Anita Pontremoli and Joela Jones. He is now on faculty at CIM as associate professor of music theory, staff collaborative pianist, and DMA Coordinator. Jacob holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Bob Jones University and a master’s degree in collaborative piano from CIM.
He has won concerto competitions at both schools and was a two-time prizewinner in CIM’s Milhaud Competition. Upon graduating with his master’s degree, he received CIM’s Rosa Lobe Memorial Award for the highest level of achievement in the collaborative piano department. Choral accompanying forms a large part of Jacob’s work.
Since arriving in Cleveland in 2017, he has worked extensively as a staff pianist for The Cleveland Orchestra Choruses. He also holds the position of Principal Keyboard with the Akron Symphony, and regularly performs with other regional orchestras. In the 2022-23 season, he made his solo debut with the Asheville Symphony.
Jacob lives in Cleveland with his wife, Joanna, and their three boys.
Konrad Kowal
Konrad Kowal is a Chicago born Polish-American violinist. In May 2024, Konrad received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a recipient of the Hope and Stanley Adelstein Prize for Excellence in Orchestral Performance.
A committed orchestral musician, Konrad serves as concertmaster of the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Lexington Bach Festival Orchestra. He frequently performs as a substitute musician with The Cleveland Orchestra and has also played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
As a soloist, Konrad regularly performs recitals across the United States and appears as soloist with orchestras. As a chamber musician, Konrad is a member of the BKW Trio with pianist Jacob Bernhardt and cellist Nora Willauer, a group that performs recitals around the United States, most recently presenting a recital at the Buffalo Chamber Music Society in March 2026. He has also collaborated with the Emerson String Quartet and with members of The Cleveland Orchestra.
Konrad’s mentors include Olga Kaler, Ilya Kaler, Malcolm Lowe, Stephen Rose, and William Preucil, and he has had masterclasses with renowned artists Vadim Gluzman, Phil Setzer, Robert Chen, and Yo- Yo Ma among others. Konrad plays on a violin made by Joseph Curtin.
Nora Willauer
Nora Willauer, D.M.A., is a freelance cellist and dynamic music educator based in Cleveland, Ohio, and Midcoast Maine. She completed her doctoral studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Dr. Melissa Kraut and Mark Kosower. Nora’s culminating lecture recital explored the relationship between groove and classical cello pedagogy, and her work was awarded CIM’s Kaplow prize for uncommon creativity.
Nora maintains an active performance schedule as a chamber musician both in NE Ohio and New England. She plays with the Bernhardt-Kowal-Willauer trio, a piano trio that made its professional debut in 2026 at the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and she is currently touring with “Strings Attached,” an interactive performance and dialogue focused on 20th century virtuosity—the composers and their muses. Nora performs with the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, and Canton Symphony Orchestra. She also collaborates in chamber music settings with members of The Cleveland Orchestra.
As a teacher, Nora focuses on helping her students create a healthy and joyful relationship with their instruments. She focuses on balanced foundational technique that works with the natural laws of each student’s individual body, and creates a multitude of performance opportunities so that each student learns to befriend center stage. Nora served as the cello professor at the University of Akron for three years, where she grew cello studio enrollment three-fold.
Nora now owns and operates Willauer Cello Studios, a competitive Suzuki studio of 25 cellists ages 3-65. Students in Willauer Cello Studios take private lessons and weekly group classes, and they often win top competitions in Cleveland and NE Ohio. Recent graduates have secured large scholarships to music programs at Eastman, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and Howard University. For more advanced cellists (professionals age 22+), Nora runs Resonance Cello Coaching — a virtual coaching community for cellists who crave a health-oriented reset. This six-month program, now in its third cycle, has drawn participants from across the US.
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