Stanford University/St. Lawrence String Quartet, Cello Masterclass

For nearly four decades, cellist Christopher Costanza has enjoyed a varied and exciting career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. A winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and a recipient of a prestigious Solo Recitalists Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Mr. Costanza has performed to wide critical acclaim throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Europe. “Mr. Costanza demonstrated an unaffected, graceful approach to phrasing, a rugged, fearless technique, and, when necessary, and energetic headlong approach,” proclaimed the New York Times. And, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, praise for a recent performance of Bach’s Unaccompanied Suites: “Costanza revealed himself to be a thoughtful interpreter as well as a technician of no small skill. Tempos were brisk but never rushed, and dynamics were carefully measured… the Sarabande became in his hands an introspective but eloquent song. He used the lightest of touches in the subsequent Minuets and brought an infectious rhythmic impulse to the concluding Gigue.”

Mr. Costanza, a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, actively toured as the cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) from 2003-2023. His recent musical activities include cycles of the complete Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, at Stanford University, and other locations; the complete Britten Cello Suites presented as a cycle; solo and chamber music performances at multiple California Bay Area venues; and a concerto tour of France with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Mr. Costanza enjoys giving pre-concert lectures, presenting informal concert/lectures, and writing about music.

Mr. Costanza is a full-time Artist in Residence at Stanford University, where he teaches cello and chamber music, serves as the Associate Director of Music for the Stanford Medical Humanities and Arts program, and performs concerts and gives lectures across campus. His recordings are readily available on Apple Music and Spotify, including several with the SLSQ. Mr. Costanza’s recording of the Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach can be streamed on his website, costanzacello.com.

A native of Atlanta, GA, Robert Howard began studying cello at age 12. Graduate of Rice University and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has studied and performed at festivals such as Tanglewood, Spoleto, Verbier, the Accademia Chigiana, and the Sandor Vegh Academy in Prague. Robert won first prize in the Rome Festival Competition and has received grants from the Maggini and Virtu Foundations. Robert has performed in the Festival Internacional de Musica in Costa Rica, the Festival de Guadarama in Spain, and on the Mostly Mozart series in Lincoln Center. Locally, he has performed with American Bach Soloists, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque, and the San Francisco Symphony. A regular guest on many Bay Area chamber music series, his concerto appearances include BARS Orchestra and Stanford Symphony. He has coached at San Francisco Conservatory, Stanford University, San Jose State University, and San Francisco State University. Robert founded and co-directs the Kenya International Chamber Music Festival. In addition to two live festivals in Kenya every year, KICF runs a weekly academy for teachers online, and sponsors beginning violin lessons in several locations throughout Kenya. 

Cellist Amy Hsieh made her New York debut recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 2002 as a winner of the Artists International New York Debut Award. She has since performed as a soloist and chamber musician in various locations around the United States, Europe, and Taiwan, including prestigious venues such as the National Concert Hall in Taiwan, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Dr. Hsieh is not only dedicated to performing, but also to mentoring aspiring musicians to succeed in the music industry. Her guidance has led her students to win several competitions and participate in masterclasses.

Dr. Hsieh earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School, her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and her Doctorate of Musical Arts from Boston University. Her teachers were Ardyth Alton and Michael Reynolds. Currently, Dr. Hsieh serves on the cello faculty at an International School in Taiwan and is a co-founder of C'est Bon Chamber Music Academy.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory, Avery Waite is a dedicated music educator and an accomplished cellist. Special performances include a concert alongside legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, a performance for President Barack Obama, and an appearance on the TV show, Sesame Street. As an educator, Avery has worked with music students all over the globe, including in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Kenya, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Jamaica. Avery was also the recipient of a Fulbright Grant to spend a year in India helping to develop and coach youth orchestra programs all over the country. As Executive Director of the non-profit MusAid from 2014 - 2021, he facilitated and directed cultural exchange programs between American music educators and under-resourced music schools worldwide. Avery currently resides in Taiwan where he is an Orchestra Director at Taipei American School.

San Francisco Conservatory

Cellist Vicky Wang is Artistic Director and co-founder of C’est Bon Chamber Music Academy, where she inspires young musicians through chamber music and cultural exchange initiatives such as the Beyond Borders program in El Salvador, reflecting her belief in music as a bridge across cultures. She is on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and previously served as Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music, where she also performed as cellist of Trio 180. The piano trio, known for its vibrant performances and commitment to new music, celebrated its 20th anniversary with five commissioned works.

Vicky has performed, taught, adjudicated, and given masterclasses across North America, Europe, Central America, and Asia, with appearances at the Chamber Music America Conference, Pacific Music Institute in Hawaii, and Shkolnikova Academy in France. She has also participated in international festivals including the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, the Spoleto Festival in Italy, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan.

Her teachers include Eleonore Schoenfeld, Zara Nelsova, Darrett Adkins, Joel Krosnick, Alan Stepansky, and Marcy Rosen. She earned her BM and MM from The Juilliard School and DMA from the City University of New York.