Sophie Shao

Sophie Shao has been noted to have “eloquent, powerful” (New York Times) interpretations of repertoire ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Crumb.  She began playing the cello at the age of six, in her hometown of Houston, Texas, where she learned from musician Shirley Trepel – the former principal cellist of the Houston Symphony.  By age 11, Sophie left Texas to go to Philadelphia and study at the Curtis Institute of Music.  She then moved farther north to study at Yale University, graduated with both a B.S. in Religious Studies and an M.M. from the Yale School of Music.  Presently, she is on the faculty at Vassar College and Bard Conservatory of Music, but still makes time to travel up the east coast and perform her powerful interpretations.  Sophie has been a part of the Caramoor family since 1992, beginning as a Rising Star and then joining the Virtuosi. We are always honored to welcome her back to our stage and are looking forward to her performance on June 28!