Ava Brighton, Cellist

Hi! My name is Ava, a professional cellist based in Southern California. With 15 years of teaching experience, I’ve taught at the Wasatch School for the Arts in Colorado, run a private studio in NYC, and currently maintain a cello studio in San Diego.

Among my professional accolades are solo performances with orchestras in European cities from Budapest to Paris, chamber music festivals in 6 states, premieres of original compositions in Manhattan, and recitals alongside members of the Colorado and Utah Symphonies.

I earned my degree at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, studying with International Soloist Matthew Zalkind, and previously studied under Utah Symphony cellist Pegsoon Whang and pedagogy mentor Alice Yoo.

I have experience teaching technical fundamentals, Suzuki Method, the standard cello repertoire, and Alexander technique- the fundamentals of holding the instrument. I believe in fostering a learning environment where students feel empowered to explore their potential through music and pursue projects they feel passionate about. I believe music is a vehicle to self expression, storytelling, and ultimately, what it means to be alive. I would love to explore with you!

My curriculum covers:

Ø Free consultation call and first lesson

Ø Sight-reading

Ø Ear training

Ø Fundamentals/Theory; Method

Ø Technical exercise (weekly) or Virtuosic Etude (intermediate through pre-professional)

Ø Classical repertoire

Ø Genre exploration (Exploring music in all genres from blues, jazz, rock, bluegrass, etc.)