Sessions 1 & 2
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.

Session 1 & 2

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.

Session 2

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.

Session 1 & 2
University of the Pacific/San Francisco Conservatory

Cellist Vicky Wang is the Artistic Director and co-founder of C’est Bon Chamber Music Academy, a program dedicated to inspiring young musicians through chamber music. She is on the faculty of San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and serves as an assistant professor of cello at University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music and the cellist of its ensemble-in-residence, Trio 180. Prior to relocating to California, Dr. Wang served on the faculty of Mannes College of Music and Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City. Her recent performances and masterclasses include appearances in Chamber Music America Conference, Pacific Music Institute of Hawaii Youth Symphony, Korea’s Busan MARU Music Festival, pianoSonoma Festival, and MTAC convention.

Dr. Wang's principal teachers include Eleonore Schoenfeld, Zara Nelsova, Darrett Adkins, Joel Krosnick, and Marcy Rosen. She has participated in music festivals such as the New York String Seminar, Pacific Music Festival (Japan), Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland), and Spoleto Music Festival (Italy), and Music Academy of the West (Santa Barbara). Dr. Wang received her Bachelor and Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School and her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from City University of New York.