Rodion Belousov Upbringing/Roots/Family I grew up in a very musical family, music has been around me from a very young age. Even though my parents aren’t musicians, they both have backgrounds in music – my mom plays piano, my dad
A Cello Is Born, by Richard Levine
About five years ago, my daughter heard an instrument made by the Canadian luthier Mark Schnurr. (A luthier is someone who makes or repairs string instruments.) She was so impressed that she visited Mark and purchased one of his violins.
An Update on the Jacobs Music Center Renovation by Erin Dowrey
As we approach the three year mark of the last show we performed inside the Jacobs Music Center, I want to share a few thoughts and observations on the current renovation. I have a front row seat to the transformation
Christopher Smith and The Etude Project
SDSO principal trumpet Chris Smith explains how he has come to be a YouTube star posting nearly 500 etude videos. In 2013, while on tour with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, I was giving a masterclass in Bogotá, Colombia. It became
An Interview with Kaelan Decman, Double Bass
Kaelan Decman has become a beloved member of the San Diego Symphony while playing multiple one-year contracts with the Orchestra. He is kind and compassionate, a really fun guy, and brings incredible energy to the music. He has become part
San Diego Cello Foundation, Interview with Yao Zhao and Xian Zhuo
The San Diego Cello Foundation was conceived by Yao Zhao in 2019. Its goal is to improve access to music education through instrument loans, masterclasses, competitions, and festivals. I briefly spoke about the Foundation with President Yao Zhao and Artistic