Hometown:
Diamond Bar, CA
Education:
Southern Methodist University — Bachelor of Music, 2025
Clare Choi is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance at SMU studying with Chris Adkins and Andres Diaz; she previously studied with Yao Zhao and Lila Yang. She has had the pleasure of studying chamber music with Aaron Boyd in addition to performing with the Marmen and Viano Quartets, Pierre Lapointe, Masumi Rostad, Edward Arron, and William Purvis.
Clare has also performed with the Dallas Symphony as a substitute cellist and chamber musician. She serves as principal cellist of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, and she has worked with conductors including Fabio Luisi, Michelle Merrill, Andrew Grams, David Fulmer, and Sameer Patel.
What is something interesting that people may not know about you?
I love oranges and can usually be found snacking on them during rehearsal breaks or before concerts!
Name three of your favorite composers:
Arnold Schoenberg, Franz Schubert, and Johannes Brahms.
When taking a break from music-making, what is your favorite thing to do?
I love taking naps and finding new books to read! Recently I’ve been working on a book by Betty Edwards about “drawing on the right side of the brain”.
What are you most looking forward to this summer with the NRO?
I hope to really learn how to work quickly and effectively within an orchestral setting. I remember seeing on the NRO application that this festival has the most repertoire in the country, and just looking at the schedule so far, I believe it.