The Cello Sherpa Podcast

A top-level orchestra audition after a 16-year break sounds like a nightmare, until you hear how Craig Mulcahy rebuilt his process and walked away with the Principal Trombone seat in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Craig shares what pushed him to look beyond Washington, D.C., how uncertainty around the Kennedy Center changed his risk math, and why “audition shape” is a separate, intense kind of training even for seasoned principal players. Along the way, we get practical about the unglamorous details that actually move the needle: consistency, concept, and the discipline to practice like you only get one shot.
Bass trombonist Chance Gompert brings the other side of the story: returning to Atlanta after a Nashville tenure-track experience, and what it takes to grow from a careful, people-pleasing sub into a confident, fully present colleague. He explains how bass trombone sits in a unique spot for doubling, why focusing on one lane can pay off, and how the post-COVID wave of openings created a rare window for audition reps across the country. If you’ve ever wondered how players get enough real audition experience when there’s only one chair, his answer is equal parts timing, documentation, and relentless learning.
We also dig into the tools both guests swear by for winning orchestral auditions: recording mock auditions to hear what committees hear, building a feedback loop that sets daily goals, and playing for other musicians to mirror the pressure of performing behind a screen. We close with perspective for anyone feeling discouraged: committees are made of humans who want you to succeed, recovery matters, and every audition can make you better if you extract the lesson.
Subscribe for more musician mindset and orchestra audition strategy, share this with a friend who’s prepping excerpts, and leave a review so more players can find the show. What’s the one part of auditions you want us to talk about next?
For more information on Craig Mulcahy: https://craigmulcahy.com/
For more information on Chance Gompert: https://www.aso.org/artists/detail/chance-gompert
You can also find Craig on Facebook and Instagram: @mulcbone
And Chance: @cggompert
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com

A world-class string quartet can look effortless on stage, but the reality is closer to running a small business with no off switch, and doing it with the same three people for years. We’re joined by cellist Tate Zavadiuk, founding member of the Viano String Quartet, to get honest about how a professional chamber music career is actually built: one relationship, one rehearsal, and one hard conversation at a time.
Tate takes us back to his earliest days with the cello, Suzuki training, and the moment performing became the goal that made practice feel worthwhile. We talk about the confidence boost that came from debuting as a young soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, plus the mentorship he received at the Colburn Conservatory with Ron Leonard and Clive Greensmith, including the shift from pure technique to a more open, resonant sound that audiences love to hear.
Then we dig into the Viano origin story: being matched through short Bach auditions, discovering an “electrifying” first performance, and eventually choosing a name after a long list of vetoed options. Tate shares the quartet’s philosophy of helping each player feel comfortable enough to play like a soloist while still blending into one ensemble voice. We also break down what winning the Banff International String Quartet Competition really changes, why competitions can accelerate growth without guaranteeing a career, and the practical side of touring, scheduling, and communication.
If you care about cello, string quartet playing, chamber music, or the mindset behind elite performance, hit subscribe, share this with a musician friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.
For more information on Tate: https://vianoquartet.com/tatezawadiuk 
You can also find Tate on Facebook and Instagram: @tatezcellist
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com

Bach’s cello suites are some of the most recorded, most studied music ever written, which raises a risky question: can you add anything to them without breaking what makes them timeless? We explore that question with Brick House Duo, cellist Jennifer Kloetzel and violinist Peter Wilson, as they share the story and craft behind their album The Bach Wilson Project and the life partnership that powers it. 
Peter’s path is anything but standard: he spent 30 years as a Marine violinist with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, serving as senior enlisted music advisor and performing for five U.S. presidents. That world demands range, speed, and a willingness to jump styles, from chamber music to pop to specialty ensembles built for White House needs. When the pandemic shuts everything down and distance separates him from Jennifer, a spark from the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria idea turns into a full-scale composition project: six original violin descants written over each of Bach’s cello suite preludes, creating a true violin and cello duet without altering Bach’s original notes. 
Jennifer tells us what it’s like to play Bach’s preludes with a second voice in the air: less autopilot, a tighter agreement on tempo and phrasing, and a surprising side effect where the new violin line can linger in her imagination even when she returns to solo Bach. We also get into the trickiest writing decisions, including how to handle the fifth suite fugue without “tampering,” plus how they round out the album with smart transcriptions and crossover choices, from Bach’s keyboard duets to the Bach-Brahms Presto and Beatles-inspired tracks like Penny Lane and Here Comes The Sun. 
If you love Bach, chamber music, arranging, and the behind-the-scenes reality of building a meaningful classical project, hit play now, then subscribe, share with a musician friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.
For more information on Jennifer and Peter and to purchase their album: https://peterwilsonmusician.com/the-brickhouse-duo/
You can also find Jennifer on Facebook and Instagram: @jkcellodiva
And Peter Wilson: @peterwilsonmusician
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com

He had the conservatory training, the orchestral chops, and the “proper” classical path laid out ahead of him, but Sebastian Plano couldn’t ignore the stronger call: make his own music. We sit down with the Grammy-nominated cellist and composer to trace the real turning points, from leaving Lisbon on a one-way ticket to Boston, to realizing that interpretation alone was not enough, to building a creative life where the cello becomes both voice and laboratory. 
We dig into the craft behind his signature approach: studying scores, sneaking into composition spaces, then recording his early work by layering parts until he could “make the orchestra” himself. Sebastian also tells the unvarnished post-school story, including what happens when you order 1,000 CDs and suddenly need an audience. His answer was simple and brave: play. He busks in the San Francisco subway, takes gigs anywhere, and learns how direct connection, repetition, and community can become both income and momentum for an independent artist. 
Then we shift to Solo, his newest solo cello album with no electronics, no multitracking, and nowhere to hide. He explains why stepping out of his safe zone felt necessary, how travel and transformation shaped the music, and why he wants other players to take these pieces and make them their own. If you care about contemporary cello, modern composition, independent music production, or choosing a nontraditional musician career, this conversation offers practical insight and a lot of honesty. 
Subscribe for more interviews like this, share the episode with a musician who needs a nudge, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.
For more information on Sebastian: https://www.sebastianplano.com/
You can also find Sebastian on Facebook and Instagram: @sebastianplano
YouTube: @sebastianplanoofficial
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com

Your bow is the only part of your rig you touch every second you play, yet most of us shop for one like we’re guessing in the dark. We sit in a room, try ten options, get overwhelmed by “better” and “worse,” and somehow leave with more confusion than we started with. That’s why we brought on Evan Orman, a working cellist who became a full-time bowmaker and now spends his days repairing, restoring, and building bows for real players.
We talk through Evan’s path from serious conservatory training to realizing performance wasn’t the only lane that could keep him close to music. He explains what drew him into bow making, why the craft is so hard to learn without a formal school, and how the Oberlin bow workshop became a turning point. Then we get concrete: pernambuco selection, cambering, and why the frog and adjuster can be the majority of the work. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re paying for when you buy a bow, this clears it up fast.
From there we zoom out to the buying decision. Evan breaks down modern bows versus antique bows, the placebo and prestige “wow effect,” and the most reliable tests for feel and performance, especially that smooth engagement from end to end. Joel shares a personal story of finally finding a bow that delivers both sound and athletic control and realizing the limitation wasn’t always the player.

If bow shopping has you stuck, this conversation will help you move forward with better questions and calmer ears. Subscribe, share with a string player who’s hunting for a bow, and leave a review so more musicians can find the show.
For more information on Evan: https://www.ormanbows.com/
You can also find Evan on Facebook and Instagram: @ormanev
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com