Cheryl Tschanz was born in Lima, Ohio. Her ability as a pianist was recognized early. As a four-year-old, she began piano studies with Ruth Watson Cable, a student of Rosina Lhevinne. At six, she transferred to the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Ruth Edwards. When she was seven, Clavier magazine described her as having "startling qualities of great talent."

She made her major orchestral debut, at age eleven, as guest soloist with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. Her solo and chamber performances have taken her to concert halls throughout the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Finland. Reviewing her New York performances at Lincoln Center and the Carnegie Recital Hall, The New York Times described her as a "wonderful young pianist" whose "playing is full of character and a pleasure to hear." After conducting her, the late renowned conductor Jinrich Rohan of the Prague Symphony said: “She has all the prerequisites of professional success: Great technique, musical intelligence, and dramatic playing. She isn’t just playing notes but projecting real feeling and expression.”

Ms. Tschanz was the first recipient of the prestigious Thayer Fellowship for the Arts. She has also been honored as a Fellow of the Tanglewood Summer Festival. She has received numerous prizes at international piano competitions including: University of Maryland International Competition (Loren Eisely Prize), Cleveland Symphony Orchestra Competition (First Prize), Indiana University Concerto Competition (First Prize), Beethoven Foundation Fellowship (Finalist), and Piano Teachers Congress of New York International Competition (Second Prize).

Ms. Tschanz studied with Lillian Freundlich at the Peabody Conservatory. She received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Indiana University where she studied with Boris Berman, Stephen Bishop, Zadel Skolovsky and Abbey Simon. She holds a Doctorate from State University of New York at Stony Brook where she studied with Gilbert Kalish.

In addition to teaching at Colby, she has an active performance schedule both as a soloist and as a member of the Guild and Nordica Trios.

The Guild Trio, Janet Orenstein, Brooks Whitehouse, and Cheryl Tschanz