Musician Spotlights - Christine Sears, Cello

Our first bonus cello spotlight is Christine!

I grew up in a musical family in Washington and started playing the piano in 3rd grade before adding cello to the mix. One of my favorite musical experiences was performing a solo in Carnegie Hall! I recently finished my master’s in performance and also have bachelor’s degrees in performance and music education. This year I’m having fun gigging throughout Oregon and taking doctoral auditions. 

I felt drawn to the string instrument family and my dad and sister already played violin, and once I picked up the cello it just seemed to fit! I started getting serious about it when I was 16 and went to an honor orchestra convention. It was my first experience playing in a full orchestra and that was when I decided I wanted to pursue music as a career. One of the pieces we played was Liszt’s Les Preludes, a piece that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I’ve really enjoyed how friendly and welcoming everyone is! I really feel like I’m a part of the community.

I really like making art, listening to audio books, going for walks, and trying out new restaurants.

I broke a bow that wasn’t mine in the middle of a live performance of a Brahms symphony. It was my worst nightmare! I had to sit through the rest of the movement and turn pages for my stand partner while the show went on without me.