Cello Faculty
Elliot Mallard
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A native of Baltimore, Maryland, cellist Elliot Mallard enjoys an active career as a chamber musician, soloist, and diverse recording artist. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he trained under David Soyer, Timothy Eddy, and Darrett Adkins as a Bidù Sayão scholar. Concert appearances include performances as soloist with the UMBC orchestra, Peabody Sinfonietta, The National Music Festival Orchestra, and Ensemble Du Monde. In addition to his classical activities, he in demand as a recording artist and performer of popular music, touring with world renowned artists such as Emmy-Award winning violinist, Damian Escobar. In 2018, Elliot received a Master of Music Degree in Cello Performance from Temple University under the tutelage of Jeffrey Solow.
As a teacher, Elliot aims to instill in my students the importance of proper practicing. Being able to listen to your own playing critically, find mistakes, and create solutions is integral to musical growth. I always stress to both students and their parents that progress happens in the practice room, and that learning how to think critically and problem solve is the key to improving your abilities as a cellist. Elliot believes that it is always important to remind his students that the ultimate aim of learning the cello is expression. The cello is a vessel to convey emotions and feelings that can only be expressed through music. Learning how to effectively interpret a score is what makes the music come alive, and is one of the most fulfilling parts of being a cellist. |
Lanvi Lu
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Lanvi Lu is currently finishing her last semester at the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Molecular Environmental Biology. She has been teaching cello for many years and gaining inspiration from her parents who play piano and violin. Growing up, she played in a trio with them for various events and eventually, got involved in various ensembles and orchestras. She was a student intern and played cello for the Midsummer Mozart Festival, and plays as principal cello for the Saigon Chamber Ensemble, a Vietnamese ensemble that performs western, classical, and Vietnamese cultural music. She was also the principal of the Oakland Youth Orchestra for four years. At UC Berkeley, she plays at the University of California Berkeley’s Symphony Orchestra and has been involved in the University’s Chamber Ensemble as well as its Baroque Ensemble. She also helps manage on-campus and off-campus events for Celli@Berkeley, the university’s only all-cello ensemble as well as performing in solo and quartet pieces for the university's noon concerts.
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Zoe Lee
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Zoe Lee, a musical artist aiming to connect people together through music as an artist and educator. She began her musical journey learning piano at the age of 4 and has studied all kinds of classical music from the piano repertoires. As a cellist, she was awarded prizes in numerous competitions of solo performance and chamber music in Taiwan. In 2018, Zoe served as the principal cellist in the Zhong Zheng Symphony Orchestra. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, Zoe has appeared in many music festivals throughout the world, and has had the privilege of taking lessons and masterclasses with Lynn Harrell, Wen-Sinn Yang, Yovan Markovitch, Yehuda Hanani, Johannes Moser, Astrid Schween, and the Formosa Quartet, among others.
As a cello and piano teacher, Zoe focuses on the uniqueness of students of all ages. What she values the most is to physically develop the technical foundation and mentally grow the healthy mindset for the musical journey. Her teaching method is assembled from what she learned from all the masters and is customized for each individual's distinctive characters. Her mission is to provide a positive and inspiring musical environment for students to stimulate the beautiful sound deep inside their hearts and encourage them to share this with people. With the Vincent Constantino Scholarship for Cello, she is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree with Professor Jean-Michel Fonteneau at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, literature and photography. |
Abigail Monroe
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Abigail Monroe is a performer and educator, currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at
the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in cello performance under the instruction of Jennifer Culp. She has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and large ensemble musician in venues across the United States. As a San Francisco resident, Abigail performs frequently throughout the entirety of the Bay Area as both a classical cellist and vocalist. She has served as both Principal cellist and Assistant Principal cellist of the SFCM Orchestra, as well as the Miami Summer Music Festival Symphony Orchestra. In the vocal world, she is currently an active member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. She has served as a choral soloist on multiple occasions in pieces ranging from Vivaldi’s Magnificat to the works of living composers. As the winner of the Jackie McGehee Young Artists Competition, a competition for New Mexico based artists, in 2019, Abigail was also featured as cello soloist performing Sir Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the New Mexico Philharmonic. |