Melissa C. Solomon

Melissa Solomon came from a family of professional musicians and developed an early passion for music. From Johannesburg, South Africa, she immigrated to the United States after receiving a full scholarship to study at Interlochen Arts Academy. She graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City where she studied cello with Timothy Eddy and chamber music with Robert Mann, Earl Carlyss and Jonathan Feldman.

Melissa has always had a passion for teaching and firmly believes that music has the power to inspire, heal and connect people. While she was studying at Juilliard, she participated in Juilliard’s Community Fellowship Program, bringing music to diverse audiences throughout the New York metropolitan area.

She developed a thriving private teaching studio in Pasadena, CA and started the cello program at Suzuki Talent Education of Pasadena. Later, she founded Project C.E.L.L.O where she directed her cello orchestra and ensembles.

Ms. Solomon has worked as an instructor at the Colorado Suzuki Institute, the Lone Star Young Artists Program at DFW WOW Suzuki Institute, Intermountain Suzuki String Institute, the Suzuki Strings by the Bay summer institute in Berkeley, National Cello Institute Winter workshop in Pomona, Greater Austin Suzuki Institute, Alaska Cello Intensive and other workshops in Texas. She gained all her Suzuki teacher training at the Colorado and Chicago Suzuki Institutes with Pamela Devenport, Nancy Hair, Sally Gross. Carol Tarr and Jean Dexter, and the Pasadena Conservatory of Music with Rick Mooney.

Melissa has performed in the United States, Europe and South Africa, including New York, London, Florence, Edinburgh, Johannesburg and Cape Town. She has appeared at music festivals, among them the Accademia Chigiana (Italy), the Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland), the Bucknell Quartet Program (Pennsylvania) and the Franschoek Chamber Music Festival (South Africa). Highlights included a solo recital at Lincoln Center’s Paul Hall (NY), performances at the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi (Italy) and leading the Juilliard Symphony celli at Carnegie Hall (NY) under the baton of James de Priest.

After well over a decade in California, Melissa now lives in Austin, TX with her two delightful children aged 12 and 9. When she is not teaching, she loves to write children’s books, draw, wood carve, play games, discuss any number of ideas and topics with friends and spend precious time with her family and pup.