The Cello Sherpa Podcast
Do you dream of someday getting to perform at Carnegie Hall, or wonder what it takes to be a professional musician? The Cello Sherpa Podcast is for anyone who enjoys the tales and scales in the life of a classical musician, or for the young classical musician who dreams big! We explore all aspects of the climb to the summit from student to the professional stage! Joel Dallow, the Cello Sherpa, interviews experts in the field covering a wide range of topics surrounding this challenging career choice, and sharing inside stories and advice on every aspect of this storied profession. A resource for many, or a place to tune in for interesting stories about this fascinating way of making a living. For comments, topic suggestions, or more information about the services we provide, please visit www.theCelloSherpa.com You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky @theCelloSherpa
Episodes
117 episodes
"Conquering Imposter Syndrome" - An Interview with Emilio Colón, Professor of Cello at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Emilio Colón. Emilio is Professor of Cello at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. After getting off to a rocky start with his teacher Janos Starker, Emilio talks about...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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32:06
"Diversity Matters" - An Interview with Cellist Sterling Elliot, Winner of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Sterling Elliot. Sterling is the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. He shares about his journey ...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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37:06
"The Accidental Violist" - An Interview with Christian Colberg, Principal Violist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews violist, violinist, and composer, Christian Colberg. Christian is currently the Principal Violist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He shares his amazing story about winning a job in th...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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38:49
"The Contemporary Cellist" - An Interview with Norman Fischer, Professor of Cello at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Norman Fischer. Norman is Professor of Cello, and Chair of Chamber Music at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Norman shares his story of how he first developed his in...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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32:01
"The Enduring Legacy of Suzuki" - An Interview with Alex Croxton, Head of Cello at the School for Strings
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Alex Croxton, Alex is currently a faculty member at Mannes Prep, the Special Music School at the Kaufman Center, the Head of Cello at the School for Strings, and he has a full priva...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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32:16
"Trust the Plan" - An Interview with Andrew Sommer, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bassist
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Bassist Andrew Sommer. Andrew is in his second season as a bassist in the Chicago Symphony, after spending 4 years as Principal of the Richmond Symphony. He shares his story about growing u...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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33:15
"The 21st Century Cellist" - An Interview with Cellist Mike Block, New England Conservatory Cello Faculty
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Cellist Mike Block. Mike shares about his incredible multi faceted life working not just as a cellist who walks around on stage while playing, but also as a singer, composer, and educator. ...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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38:10
"Trio Con Brio" - An Interview with Julie Albers, Principal Cellist of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Cellist Julie Albers. She has been the principal cellist of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra since 2014. They talk about her experience growing up in a family where all of her siblings played...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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31:45
"How Do We Win?" - An Interview with Cellist and Conductor, Eric Jacobsen, Music Director of the Virginia Symphony
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Cellist and Conductor Eric Jacobsen. Eric is a cellist in Yo-Yo Ma’s SilkRoad Ensemble, the Artistic Director and Co-founder of the Knights Chamber Orchestra and also the Music Director of ...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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38:33
"Cello on the Fringes" - An Interview with Nathan Chan, Asst. Principal Cello of the Seattle Symphony
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Nathan Chan, Assistant Principal Cello of the Seattle Symphony. They talk about the incredible social media following he has built over the years by creating insightful, interesting and amu...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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34:11
"The Ultimate Cello Swap" - An Interview with Blaise Dejardin, Principal Cellist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Blaise Dejardin, principal cellist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. They talk about what he has been up to over the past 3 years, joining the faculty of his alma mater, the New England Con...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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33:46
"Being Patient" - An Interview with Cellist Paul Watkins, Yale School of Music, Professor of Cello
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Paul Watkins. Paul is currently the Professor of Cello at the Yale School of Music. He shares his journey going back to landing Principal Cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra at th...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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33:59
"Do You Even Play the Bass?" - An Interview with Cellist Richard Aaron, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Professor of Cello
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Richard Aaron. Richard joined the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory in the fall of 2024. He shares his incredible journey from landing an orchestra position at the age of 18...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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41:13
"Preparing For a Summer Music Program" - An Interview with Cellist Julia Lichten, Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Julia Lichten. She has been on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music since 1989. Julia shares how she first fell in love with the cello, her teaching philosophy and offers sa...
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Season 4
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Episode 28
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32:42
"Dreams Really Do Come True" - An Interview with Chris Fischer, Keyboardist for Spyro Gyra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Keyboardist Chris Fischer, who recently joined the famed jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra. They talk about the moment he discovered this band and how his life was never the same. He shares his ...
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Season 4
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Episode 27
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39:15
"Getting Us All on the Same Page of Music" - An Interview with Joshua Luty, Principal Librarian of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Joshua Luty, who is the Principal Librarian of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They talk about the path to this unique profession, whats involved in the day to day life of this job, and the...
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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34:18
"Lipstick, Eyeshadow and a Violin" - An Interview with Violinist Lauren Roth, Asst. Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews violinist Lauren Roth, who recently joined the Atlanta Symphony as the new Asst. Concertmaster. They talk about her past experience as Concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony, and how it relat...
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Season 4
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Episode 25
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31:55
Steven Isserlis Returns to Celebrate Our 100th Episode!
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Internationally Renowned Cellist Steven Isserlis. After appearing as the Inaugural guest of this podcast in March 2021, Steven returns to celebrate the 100th episode of The Cello Sherpa Pod...
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Season 4
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Episode 24
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48:33
"Teaching a Master Class at 10" - An Interview with James Kim, Asst. Professor of Cello, Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Cellist James Kim. He is the Asst. Professor of Cello at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. They talk about his journey on the cello, his teaching philosophy, an...
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Season 4
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Episode 23
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32:08
"Tales of Scales, Scales and More Scales" - An Interview with Cello Professors Robert Jesselson and Theodore Buchholz
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Cellists Robert Jesselson, Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina, and Theodore Buchholz, Associate Professor at The University of Arizona. They share their teaching philoso...
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Season 4
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Episode 22
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34:38
"Sleeve of Crackers" - An Interview with William Langley, Resident Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Conductor William Langley. They talk about his path to his current positions as Resident Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra,...
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Season 4
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Episode 21
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33:28
"Building Dreams" - An Interview with Cellist Kyle Price, Artistic and Executive Director of the Caroga Lake Music Festival
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Kyle Price. They talk about how Kyle became a founding member of the Kasa Quartet, and a member of the Cavani Quartet, replacing his teacher for this coveted position. Kyle also sha...
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Season 4
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Episode 20
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32:25
"The Ultimate Gut Feeling" - An Interview with Jason Calloway, Cellist of the Amernet String Quartet
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Jason Calloway. Jason is the cellist of the Amernet String Quartet, Ensemble-in-Residence at Florida International University in Miami. They talk about his love of opera, his journe...
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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35:36
"Trouver Le Succès - From Harvard to the ASO" - An Interview with Elisabeth Remy Johnson, Principal Harpist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Elisabeth Remy Johnson, who has been the Principal Harpist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1995. They talk about why she picked the harp, and her incredibly successful journey from ...
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Season 4
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Episode 18
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33:54
"Playing Audition Roulette, What Are Your Chances? - Part 2" - An Interview with Brant Taylor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Cellist
The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Brant Taylor, who has been a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra cello section since 1998. Brant shares a behind the scenes look at the most recent cello audition where the committee l...
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Season 4
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Episode 17
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29:52