Cuban-Chinese-American cellist Sophia Bacelar is quickly establishing herself as one of classical music’s most exciting rising stars. Her 2016/2017 season has been highlighted by performances in the Berliner Philharmonie, the Tonhalle Zürich, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton.

Sophia has performed throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia in various prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Tonhalle Zürich, Victoria Hall, Le Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Cité de la Musique, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and Alice Tully Hall. She regularly appears in several renowned festivals, including The Kronberg Academy Cello Festival, The Seiji Ozawa International Academy, and The Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. In recent years, she was awarded 2nd Prize at the Berliner International Competition, 2nd Prize at the Janigro International Competition, and the Mondavi Center’s Career Development Award.

Sophia began studying at The Juilliard School at the age of ten. After graduating high school at age 15, she moved to Paris, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree two years later from Le Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris. During 2016/2017, she worked under the mentorship of Gautier Capuçon as a laureate of his “Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle” at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. She is currently pursuing her postgraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin in the class of Nicolas Altstaedt.

Sophia lives in Berlin, where she spends her spare time doing yoga, reading, and experimenting with new recipes. She plays on a 1914 Giulio Degani cello restored by her father, Luthier Alejandro Bacelar.