Conversations with Cellista

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cellista

Hi Cellista, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I first picked up the cello in my public middle school orchestra program, an experience I’m deeply indebted to—it set me on the path to the career I have today. Growing up in Longmont, I honed my orchestral playing in the Longmont Youth Symphony, where I was a founding member. From there, I studied with Judith Glyde and Charles Lee in Boulder before heading to Metro State College of Denver.

Eventually, I dropped out and moved to France, where I quit playing entirely. But after several years of homesickness, I returned to the U.S. and landed in San Jose, CA. On a whim, I auditioned for the cello performance graduate program at SFSU. It was in the Bay Area that I truly found my artistic voice. I gravitated toward interdisciplinary work, especially after spending time at Anno Domini Art Gallery in downtown San Jose. The owners of the gallery gave me some of my first professional experiences. At this time, I was feeling constrained by the traditional classical path and struggling to keep up in grad school, I left the program and threw myself into full-time gigging—everything from session work to backing rock bands.

Over time, I started directing and performing in my own interdisciplinary theater pieces and eventually pursued a business degree at Berklee College of Music. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made—the program gave me the tools to continue what I was already doing, but with more intention and strategy.

Then the pandemic hit, and I lost nearly everything—or at least it felt that way. During that time, I completed my degree and created Pariah, a multidisciplinary operette. Not long after, I stumbled into circus arts and took up static trapeze, which has since become an integral part of my musical life. That journey led to Élégie, my internationally touring one-woman show for aerial cello. My work continues to evolve at the intersection of music, movement, and storytelling, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! There is no smooth path in the road I walk. I cross disciplines and boundaries and mostly encounter obstacles—whether from colleagues who don’t understand my vision or from my own inner voice, which loves to tell me “no.”

Leaving the traditional classical world to forge my own way meant constantly justifying my choices, proving that interdisciplinary work had value, and carving out spaces where none seemed to exist. Dropping out of school (twice), quitting music entirely for years, and then trying to return to it in an unconventional way was not easy. When I left my graduate program, I felt like I had failed. But I knew I couldn’t stay in a rigid system that didn’t fit me. Gigging full-time in the Bay Area was another challenge—figuring out how to survive, navigating the instability of freelance work, and constantly having to fight for my place in spaces that weren’t built for artists like me.

Then, when the pandemic hit, everything I had built seemed to disappear overnight. I lost all my work, all my gigs, and, for a while, my sense of direction. But that time also pushed me to create *Pariah*, a multidisciplinary operette, and eventually led me to circus arts, which transformed my practice in ways I never could have imagined. Learning static trapeze as an adult was humbling—I had to fight through fear, self-doubt, and the physical demands of training. And yet, that struggle led me to create *Élégie*, my one-woman show for aerial cello, which continues to tour internationally.

So no, the road hasn’t been smooth. But the obstacles, the resistance—both external and internal—have shaped me into the artist I am. And despite all of it, I keep going.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I exist at the crossroads of music, movement, and storytelling. I’m a cellist, composer, aerialist, and interdisciplinary artist who blends live music, theater, and circus arts. I don’t just play the cello—I perform with it, move with it, and challenge what it means to be both a musician and a physical artist.

I’m best known for *Élégie*, my internationally touring one-woman show for aerial cello, which fuses live-looped cello with movement on static trapeze. It embodies everything I believe in—defying conventions, embracing risk, and creating deeply immersive experiences.

What sets me apart is that I don’t fit into any one category. I left traditional classical music to explore interdisciplinary performance, where music isn’t just heard but seen and felt. I’ve built a career on my own terms, constantly pushing artistic boundaries and forging new ways to connect with audiences.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Trust the process

Pricing:

• Please email me for rates

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cellista.net
• Instagram: @xcellistax
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/cellista.music
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cellista/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@xcellistax