About
I started playing the cello in 1993 after a few moderately successful years on the piano. I took lessons, played in honor orchestras, and took part in competitions, but it wasn’t until I received a music scholarship to attend California State University Long Beach that the cello became a major focus in my life.
I sat principal cellist for the University Symphony Orchestra, was a multiple-year member of the University String Quartet, performed in music videos for Il Divo and Mario Winans, and coached the cello section for the Grammy award-winning Long Beach Polytechnic High School Symphony Orchestra. My primary teacher was Richard Naill and I took lessons from him at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. In 2004, I was fortunate enough to spend a year at the Staatliche Musikhochschule in Trossingen, Germany and study under Sadao Harada, founder of the Tokyo StringQuartet. Upon returning to the United States, I graduated from Cal State with aBachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance.
Since then I've been an active gigging musician with the Porta Caeli Chamber Ensemble, the LA Dolce String Quartet, Greenford, and the La Jolla Symphony. Currently, I teach the cellists of theHobart Shakespeareans, a nationally known group of elementary students who perform Shakespearean plays under the direction of famed teacher Rafe Esquith.
In addition, I have also taken Suzuki Teacher Training courses at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music with Suzuki specialist, Rick Mooney.