The Cello Sherpa Podcast

Classical music can change a life, but it can also quietly decide whose life gets changed. The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, sits down with Stanford Thompson, founder of Play On Philly and executive director of Equity Arc, to talk about the moment he realized music isn’t neutral and why “work hard” is only part of the story when access to training, instruments, time, and insider mentorship is so uneven.

Stanford takes us from a childhood shaped by disciplined music educators, to high-level preparation through a talent development program, to the intense excellence and isolation of the Curtis Institute of Music. Along the way, we unpack the invisible advantages that shape auditions and careers: knowing what a panel listens for, learning the unwritten rules, getting the right coaching early, and building social capital that opens doors. We also talk frankly about gatekeeping versus stewardship and what it means to invite someone to the table when they’re not already in your circle.

From there, we get practical about solutions. Stanford breaks down the Play On Philly model inspired by El Sistema and why long-term, high-intensity, tuition-free ensemble training can be transformative. He explains Equity Arc’s focus on rigorous musical preparation paired with identity-affirming mentorship, including how musicians learn to interpret feedback, persist through bias, handle rejection, and prepare for the real decision points that determine who reaches orchestra finals and who falls off the pipeline.

If you care about music education equity, diversity in classical music, orchestra auditions, and building fellowship programs that produce measurable outcomes, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this episode with a musician or educator, and leave a review. What part of the classical music pipeline most needs to change next?
For more information on Stanford: https://www.stanfordthompson.com/
You can also find Stanford on Facebook and Instagram: @sltstanford
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 tiny sixteenth-size cello, a stubborn toddler, and a violin shop tantrum, that’s how this story begins. From there, Inbal Megido grew into an international soloist and chamber musician, studied with the legendary Aldo Parisot at Yale, and ultimately built a rich artistic life in Wellington, New Zealand. We explore how a childhood steeped in music became a fluent language, how cross-continental moves shaped identity, and why a liberal arts education can sharpen a performer’s ear and mind as much as hours in the practice room.

The heart of our conversation centers on voice and freedom. Inbal pulls back the curtain on recording the Bach Cello Suites, pushing past the fear of “another” recording to claim an honest, improvisatory approach. With sources that are copies rather than Bach’s autograph, bowings and phrasing become choices rather than commandments. She records movements as living arcs, keeps tempo flexible, and treats character as compass. When pandemic logistics forced a total re-record, stamina and tension-free technique became essential tools—proof that process is as musical as product.

We also get practical. Inbal explains how partnering with Larsen Strings helped her balance brightness and warmth across registers, mixing Arioso, Magnacore, and Il Cannone Direct-Focus to solve a persistent D–A mismatch. She shares how Wellington’s scene, small but mighty, offers students real gigs, close mentorship, and a culture eager for new music. And her advice to young musicians cuts through noise: learn how to practice, cultivate interests beyond the practice room, protect your reputation, question assumptions, and build a career that fits your authentic voice rather than a borrowed template.

If you enjoy deep dives into craft, pedagogy, and the choices that shape a musician’s sound and life, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Bach or the cello, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what part of your musical life are you ready to rethink?
For more information on Inbal: https://www.inbalmegiddo.com/
You can also find Inbal on Facebook and Instagram: @inbalmegiddo
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 seven-year-old chooses the cello because “you get to sit,” and decades later becomes a sought-after pedagogue who reshapes how students think about practice, expression, and careers. That’s the arc that The Cello Sherpa Podcast host, Joel Dallow, explores with cellist and educator Melissa Kraut, equal parts heart, humor, and hard-won clarity.

We dive into the early thrill of playing by ear and the long road to loving theory, including candid stories about faking through parts and finally discovering how analysis deepens expression. Melissa explains why Suzuki training transformed her teaching, giving her a surgeon’s eye for root causes: when an advanced player stalls, she can trace the issue to its origin and rebuild from first principles. Along the way, mentors like Alan Harris and Hans Jorgen Jensen model how systematic thinking liberates phrasing, color, and timing rather than boxing them in.

The conversation widens to what it means to teach now. Melissa shares how raising a daughter on the spectrum reframed her communication: if the student can’t demonstrate understanding, the language must change. She “takes the temperature” at every lesson, pairs high standards with genuine kindness, and treats misses as information instead of verdicts. We talk about the pressures of social media, the myth of perfection, and practical strategies for separating identity from outcome so players can do deep, focused work without self-punishment.

Shifting from the Cleveland Institute of Music to the DePaul University School of Music, Melissa unpacks the differences between a pure conservatory and a conservatory mindset within a university. Chicago’s rich ecosystem, symphonic partnerships, chamber culture, and a wider campus life, offers students fresh ways to grow. And for anyone wrestling with career decisions, Melissa’s advice is grounding: start with a small “why,” let it evolve, and build your path step by step. Talent gets you moving; clarity, systems, and connection keep you climbing.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help others find us. What’s your why right now?
For more information on Melissa: https://www.melissakraut.com/
You can also find Melissa on Facebook
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

What does it really take to move from a childhood in a Soviet special music school to the principal chair of a top American orchestra? The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, sits down with Ilya Finkelshteyn to trace that journey, through refugee camps, early months in Minnesota with two suitcases and $300, a total technical rebuild at Juilliard with Harvey Shapiro, and a relentless audition circuit that demanded both resilience and precision.

Ilya opens the curtain on how committees actually listen. The first-round filter isn’t mystery or style, it’s consistent intonation, reliable rhythm, and clear dynamic contrast. He shares the training habits that hold up under pressure: drones and tuners to expose tendencies, perfect intervals that must truly lock, open-string checks, and practicing in resonant spaces to hear pitch “hang” in the air. He even offers a pragmatic safety net for intervals when adrenaline spikes, an approach that protects musical integrity without freezing expression.

We also dig into leadership from the first stand. Ilya’s philosophy is simple and demanding: orchestra is chamber music writ large. He asks for active playing across the section, minimal talking from him to the section, sharp listening, and smart energy management. It took more than seven years to feel fully at home in the chair, long enough to cycle the core repertoire and learn when to blend and when to step out. Along the way, he makes a case for sustainable careers: secure an institutional “address” for stability, then build a rich mix of orchestra work, chamber music, solo spots, and teaching.

If you care about orchestra auditions, cello technique, or the realities of principal leadership, this conversation delivers practical steps, hard-won insight, and a clear path you can apply today. If it resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what’s the one practice change you’ll make this week?
For more information on Ilya: https://www.ilya-finkelshteyn.com/
You can also find Ilya on Facebook and Instagram: @ilfink1217
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 single question—“Can I have it?”—nearly sent a child’s cello out the door. Instead, that moment lit a fuse that carried Hee-Young Lim from piano lessons and packed Korean school days to principal chair in Rotterdam and a teaching home at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music.

The Cello Sherpa Podcast host, Joel Dallow, interviews Hee-Young, and they take a deep dive into the chain of choices that shaped her artistry: the advantages of piano-first training for cello technique, how small hands and big extensions can coexist, and what it means to study across traditions with mentors from the French, German, Russian, and American schools. Hee-Young takes us inside the orchestra, sharing what she learned from working closely with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, decoding massive symphonic scores, and adapting to different halls on tour. Then she opens up about a turning point at thirty, why prestige wasn’t enough, how proximity to home and a lifelong dream to teach redefined success, and what makes Beijing’s conservatory culture distinct, from studio sizes to the freedom to teach across ages.

We also explore the heart behind her album Encores. Built one piece at a time in a colleague’s studio, the project gathers short works she first loved on piano and now sings through the cello. She explains how bow and breath reshape phrasing once sustained by pedal, why encore repertoire can carry the deepest personal stories, and how a DIY recording approach can yield a more intimate, honest sound. Throughout, her advice to young musicians is frank and generous: stay curious, stay open, and build resilience for a field that asks for both excellence and grit.

If you enjoy candid artist stories, real talk about career pivots, and behind-the-scenes insight into orchestral life, conservatory teaching, and recording strategy, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs a nudge of courage, and leave a rating so more musicians and music lovers can find us.
For more information on Hee-Young: https://www.crossovermedia.net/artists/hee-young-lim/projects/the-encores-album/bio/
You can also find Hee-Young on Instagram and Facebook: @heeyounglim_official
or Youtube: @hee-younglim2202 
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