At 16, cellist Starla Breshears attends the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s pre-college program on a full Joseph Chan Scholarship, where she studies under Jean-Michel Fonteneau. Her musical development has been enriched by coaching sessions with Christine Walevska and Sergei Riabtchenko, and she has participated in masterclasses led by renowned cellists Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Alisa Weilerstein, and Amit Peled.
Beginning at age 6, Starla has appeared as a soloist with 18 orchestras, performing with ensembles including the California Youth Symphony, Kalamazoo Junior Symphony, Palo Alto Philharmonic, Symphony Parnassus, and Nova Vista Symphony. She earned the Bronze Medal at the 2023 Stulberg International String Competition and has claimed first place in numerous solo competitions, such as the ASTA State Solo Competition and Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, along with the Grand Prize in the Diablo Valley College / Holy Names University Young Artist Competition.
The Breshears String Quartet, featuring Starla and her siblings, has gained recognition with two Rising Star of the Week features on the Violin Channel and an appearance on From the Top. The ensemble secured First Prize at the 2023 Piero Farulli International Competition for Young String Quartets and has earned spots in both the 2024 Fischoff Competition and the 2025 live rounds of the International Chamber Music Competition in Pinerolo, Italy.
Selected as one of the youngest Beares International Violin Society Young Artists, Starla has been entrusted with both a 19th century Hill cello (1/2 size) and an 1808 Lorenzo Ventapane (3/4 size). She was also chosen as a Yellow Barn Young Artist in 2022 and 2023.
OTHER CELLISTS
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