Shay Rudolph, Cellist

Shay Rudolph's first love is chamber music, particularly the string quartet.  She began studying the cello at age 8 and was playing recorder-and-cello chamber music with her parents as soon as she could play a part on her own.  It wasn't too long before she was playing concerts with her father, Steve Rudolph, a pianist with whom she continues to perform.  Her first paid gig was at age 12.  As a music student at Boston University, it was her first semester of chamber music that really sold her on music performance as a career. 

Orchestral and choral concerts make up a large portion of her schedule.  She serves as Assistant Principal Cellist with the New Bedford Symphony, is a contracted member of the Orchestra of Indian Hill, and can often be seen performing with Portland Symphony, Cantata Singers & Ensemble, Springfield Symphony, and Worcester Chorus, along with a host of other ensembles and church groups in venues throughout the Northeast.

Nationally, she performed in the orchestra for the North American tour of Star Wars: In Concert, which featured C3PO actor Anthony Daniels as narrator of a large-scale multi-media production.  Other highlights include playing with the Cleveland Orchestra and with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra in Los Angeles. Abroad, she's enjoyed performing in Sweden, Finland, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada.  (Have Cello, Will Travel.)

Over the years, Shay has developed a reputation for musical versatility, albeit accidentally, which started with having a jazz pianist for a dad.  She spent over two years playing electric cello with a 3-cellos-and-drums rock band called The Cello Chix.  Past projects include playing backup instrumentals for hip-hop artist KanYe West and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken.

Shay serves on the cello faculty of Clark University and on the chamber music faculty of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras.  She offers cello lessons at her home for ages 8 to adult, from beginning to advanced. 

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