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 Director Xian Zhuo, both members of the San Diego Symphony.
The SD Cello Foundation had its inaugural event last month, the 2022 San Diego Young Cellist Competition. What were your hopes for the competition, and how did it go?
Yao: This year we opened the competition only to students in San Diego County, but there was a lot of interest elsewhere and we plan on expanding the reach of the competition in future years. There are not always many opportunities for student cellists to compete, so we want to provide a high-level yet supportive environment specifically for cellists to perform and compete.
The event last month was very positive for the students and the music education community. The finalists’ hard work and dedication came through in their excellent performances in the final round. The jury included many of San Diego’s music education leaders as well as cello great Ronald Leonard.
Describe the process of founding a non-profit:
Xian: We were in the middle of the process when Covid hit in 2020. It’s quite complicated to register as a non-profit and involved many meetings with our lawyer. Before we were even able to apply, we had to have a running website to show that we were a serious organization. Expenses accumulate quickly — for example legal fees, website fees, and the many costs associated with putting on an event.
What role do you see the Foundation playing in education:
Yao: There is a big disparity in access to music education and we hope to address that through the San Diego Cello Foundation. We have been in contact with many schools with minimal or no music programs, but everything got put on hold during Covid. We envision not only having artists from the Foundation teaching, but also providing opportunities for students who are further along in their music development to share their knowledge with their peers.
Please visit https://www.sdcello.org/ for more information.
-Andrew Hayhurst