Master Teachers

Bongshin Ko

Hailed by critics for her “most perfect playing” (Internet Cello Society) with “great warmth and beauty” (The STRAD), cellist Bongshin Ko has appeared worldwide as a soloist with such groups as Television and Radio Symphony of Moscow, Munich Chamber Players, the KBS Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Zagreb Philharmonic, and Central Broadcasting Symphony of China to name a few. Professor Ko has collaborated with some of the world’s greatest artists including Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Stein, Gunther Schuller, Semyon Bychkov and Valery Gergiev. 

As a recipient of over 30 international prizes and awards, including the highest performance award in her native Korea and the Crossroad Award in the US for her “superior teaching,” she is on popular demand as a teacher as well as a performer around the globe. Prestigious schools where she taught special guest master classes include The Juilliard School, Mannheim Musikhochschule, Korean National University of Arts, Nürnberg School for Music, and Bejing Central Conservatory.

Wendy Warner

Winner of Rostropovich Cello Competition

Recent season highlights include appearances with the Wichita, Columbus (Georgia), Wyoming and Alabama Symphonies and return engagements with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Peru) and the Xiamen Philharmonic (China). This season she will be featured with the Hartford and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras and, joining violinist Vadim Gluzman in the Brahms Double Concerto, the Austin Symphony Orchestra. In 2020 she will return to the prestigious Piatigorsky International Cello Festival.

Wendy Warner's Cedille CDs include Haydn & Myslivecek; Russian Music for Cello & Piano; Popper & Piatigorsky; The Beethoven Project Trio; Double Play with Rachel Barton Pine; and Eclipse. On other labels she has recorded Hindemith's chamber works; Barber's Cello Concerto; and compositions by Dalit Warshaw. A CD of Edgar Valcárcel’s Cello Concerto with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Peru) will be released soon. An Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Warner holds the Leah D. Ha

Warner played the 2009 world premiere of a newly discovered Beethoven piano trio. With pianist Irina Nuzova she performed the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas on tour and by invitation at the U.S. Supreme Court. Other collaborators have included Anne Sophie Mutter, Gidon Kremer, the Fine Arts Quartet and Chicago Chamber Musicians. She has given recitals in Milan and Tokyo and is a frequent guest on WFMT in Chicago.

(5/16-5/17 for Early Bird masterclasses)

Cellist Wendy Warner soared to international acclaim, winning the international Rostropovich Cello Competition top prize at age eighteen. Her career took off with concerts conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich and debuts in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Köln, Düsseldorf, Berlin and New York at Carnegie Hall. Strings magazine hailed her “youthful, surging playing, natural stage presence and almost frightening technique.”

From a musical Chicago family, Warner studied with Rostropovich at the Curtis Institute of Music from which she graduated. Collaborators have included conductors Vladimir Spivakov, Christoph Eschenbach, Andre Previn, Jesús López Cobos and Michael Tilson Thomas. She has appeared with leading U.S. orchestras and internationally—from Paris and London to Serbia and Russia.

Seth Parker Woods

Professor of Cello, USC

(6/14-6/15)

Hailed by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace” who possesses “mature artistry and willingness to go to the brink,” two-time Grammy-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods has established his reputation as a versatile artist and innovator across multiple genres. Woods’ projects delve deep into our cultural fabric, reimagining traditional works and commissioning new ones to propel classical music into the future. As The New York Times wrote, “Woods is an artist rooted in classical music, but whose cello is a vehicle that takes him, and his concertgoers, on wide-ranging journeys.” Also at the forefront of fashion, Woods has topped the “Best Dressed” lists in Variety, Texas Monthly and OC Register, among others. He is an honoree of the 2023 Seattle Symphony’s 25th Anniversary Silver Gala and recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award. Woods has served on the faculty of the USC Thornton School of Music since 2022, and he was appointed to the Robert Mann Chair in Strings and Chamber Music in 2024.

Among the highlights of his 2024-2025 season, Woods performs in the world premiere of Nathalie Joachim’s new cello concerto, Had to Be, at Spoleto Festival USA. He later performs the same piece in its New York premiere as he makes his debut with the New York Philharmonic. Among his other upcoming engagements, Woods performs the East Coast premiere of Rebecca Saunders’ cello concerto Ire as 2024 guest artist with The Next Festival of Emerging Artists. He later makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in the world premiere of a new cello concerto by Julia Adolphe. A core member of the music collective Wild Up, Woods is also a featured soloist in the fourth release of Wild Up’s Grammy-nominated Eastman Project: Eastman Vol. 4: The Holy Presence, an exploration of composer Julius Eastman’s works on religious themes released June 21, 2024 on New Amsterdam Records. In a second new release out this season on New Focus Recordings, Woods is featured alongside flutist Claire Chase on a recording of music by Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

During the 2023-2024 season, Woods brought his Grammy-nominated, autobiographical tour-de-force Difficult Grace—described as “dazzlingly inventive” (Gramophone Magazine) and “a feast for the ears, eyes and mind” (The New York Times)—to San Diego and Philadelphia. Difficult Grace premiered at 92NY in the 2022-2023 season with choreographer Roderick George, followed by performances at UCLA and Chicago’s Harris Theater. It was released as an album on Cedille Records in 2023 and nominated for the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Woods performed the Boston premiere of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s “UBIQUE” at Harvard University and featured in a pair of performances with Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn at Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany. With American Modern Opera Company (AMOC), Woods toured a new version of John Adams’ El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered with libretto by Peter Sellars, concept by AMOC member Julia Bullock. He appeared in two performances of Fallen Petals, a program commissioned by Chamber Music Detroit that was inspired by stories of juvenile offenders serving life in prison.

In addition to his post at the University of Southern California, Woods serves on the artist faculty of the Music Academy of the West each summer and has previously served on the faculties of the University at Buffalo, University of Chicago, Dartmouth College and Chicago Academy of the Arts, and as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and Northwestern University – Center for New Music. He holds degrees from Brooklyn College, Musik Akademie der Stadt Basel and a PhD from the University of Huddersfield. In the 2020-21 season, he was an Artist-in-Residence with the Kaufman Music Center, and from 2018-2020 he served as Artist-in-Residence with Seattle Symphony and Creative Consultant for the interactive concert hall, Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center.

Alexander Suleiman

Director, Neuburg Academy in Germany

Prof. Suleiman is currently holding the position as Distinguished Professor of Cello at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing and is a frequent member of jury panels in international music competitions in Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Beijing, Finland, and the USA. He frequently performs chamber music with his colleagues at international music festivals in Germany, China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Finland, Italy, France, and the USA.

Alexander Suleiman studied with Eldar Issakadze, Daniil Shafran, and Natalia Gutman and has won numerous competitions not only with his main instrument but also as a pianist in Germany, Spain, the USA, and Korea.

His solo and chamber music CDs include world premiere recordings and have been released on numerous labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, MDG, TYXArt, GuildMusic, and Starsing Classic. The CD “Out of the Blue“ has been nominated for the “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik“, the CD “Impressions of China” includes own compositions and has been awarded the "Huawei Hi-Classical Music Award” , and the world premier recording of the piano trios by An-lun Huang together with violinist Bin Huang and pianist Yubo Zhou has won the “OPUS KLASSIK” Award.

As a soloist Mr. Suleiman follows invitations to play as a soloist with orchestras in Germany, the USA, Russia, China, Korea, Austria, Israel, and South Africa and has performed at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the National Performing Arts Center Beijing, the Beijing Concert Hall, the Mahler City Hall in Cape Town.

Yi-Bing Chu

Chu Yi-Bing was born in Beijing, China in 1966. His father Chu Yong-Ning and mother Wang Yao-Ling were both professors at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing, China.

In 1978, Chu Yi-Bing commenced studying cello with his father at the Middle School of the CCOM in Beijing, China. In 1984 after graduating from the CCOM, Chu Yi-Bing was accepted to Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique à Paris in France where he studied under the tutelage of Maurice Gendron.

In 1986 Chu Yi-Bing was prize winner at the 42nd Concours International d’Exécution Musicale in Geneva. He was the first Chinese cellist ever to win a prize in a major international Cello competition.

After Chu Yi-Bing graduated from the Conservatory in Paris with a Premier Prix in 1987, he served as principal cellist in Basel Symphony Orchestra, Switzerland. During his tenure between 1989-2004, Chu Yi-Bing was also guest principal cellist of Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich, Germany.

It was his principle cellist job that led him to start his conducting career. He has conducted Munich Symphony Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Duesseldorfer Symphony Orchestra in Germany, Zurich Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland and Moravian Symphony Orchestra in Czech Republic.

Chu Yi-Bing was appointed as cello professor and head of the cello department at the CCOM in Beijing, where he taught between 2004 and 2018. He founded the Chu Yi-Bing Cello Ensemble with his students, one of the very few chamber music groups in China, playing countless concerts in a number of diverse cities and provinces, schools, colleges and universities.

He has produced and recorded several CDs and DVDs with his cello ensemble in Dun Huang, a grand historical site which is an ancient city on the silk road in the Northwest China.
This project had been considered somewhat unique because of the performance of Chinese and western style music on this historical crossroad.

Chu Yi-Bing has also played for several Chinese Presidents and many of other nation leaders.

Chu Yi-Bing founded the SuperCello festival in Beijing, 2016. SuperCello is the premier cello festival in Asia. Every year it is attended by hundreds cellists including a number of world leading performers.

Instructional Staff

  • Eddie Yue earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with the honor of Summa Cum Laude. While pursuing his Master of Music degree at Cal State University Fullerton, he performed as the university's principal cellist for the American premiere of Tarik O' Regan's "The Ecstasies Above" at Carnegie Hall in November 2015. He played in a masterclass for legendary cellists including Misha Maisky, Alexander Rudin, and the late Bernard Greenhouse. While studying under and working with cellist Bongshin Ko, Mr. Yue toured intensively around the world to Italy, Germany, France, and South Korea. 

  • A frequent performer praised for her “passion and expressiveness that is wholly accessible to modern ears yet entirely authentic, learned, and respectful of the sources” (D. Tenbrook), Dr. Esther Back is an acclaimed cellist known not only for her solo, orchestral, and chamber performances but also as an avid educator and outreach advocate. She has performed at major venues in both the US and Europe. Back also has collaborated in chamber music, concertos, and symphonies with renowned artists such as Lynn Harrell and Bernard Greenhouse. A long-term pupil of world-renowned Baroque cellist and viol player Jaap ter Linden, Back began studying at Frankfurt University at the age of eleven and came to the US sometime later. As a graduate of Cal State University Fullerton under the tutelage of the cello professor Bongshin Ko, with a high-performance award, she has also played in a masterclass of Peter Stumpf, Ronald Leonard, and the late Bernard Greenhouse and Eleonore Schoenfeld. At present, she is working toward PhD/Musicology degree at CGU. An enthusiastic teacher, Back serves as a faculty member at CSU/San Bernardino and has a large private studio; her students have won top awards at various music competitions, providing them with soloist opportunities with professional orchestras and invitations to regularly perform at prestigious venues. She also is the founder, artistic director, and conductor of the CSU/San Bernardino Cello Ensemble. Under her numerous years of direction, the former Orange County Cello Ensemble (OCCE)—which she founded—performed live on 88.9 KUCI frequently as well as at Walt Disney Hall and prestigious venues in France. She also produced the CD album, “Miracle of the Cellos.” Back is currently preparing a complete recording set of the six Bach unaccompanied cello suites for the Athene Label. 


  • Kevin Mills, a native of Southern California, holds an Artist’s Diploma from Oberlin Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University of Fullerton. Mills has been working in the world of classical music in all facets. He is thrilled to serve as Assistant Principal Cellist of Las Vegas Philharmonic, Principal of the Rogue Valley Symphony, and as a frequent substitute cellist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Frequent recording studio appearances have allowed him to work at prestigious studios such as Capitol Records and Sony Pictures. An avid chamber music player, Mills travels often across the country as well as overseas to perform with organizations such as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York, The Greenhouse Foundation’s Viva Celli Festival in Seoul, Korea, and numerous music festivals in Germany, France, and Luxembourg. He is most fortunate to have been gifted a coveted instrument, a 1779 Renault & Chatelain, from his former cello teacher.

  • A southern California native, B. Michael Phillips enjoys his diverse career of performing, recording, and teaching. He has performed with numerous professional orchestras, chamber ensembles, theatrical productions, as well as various alternative-style music groups. As a graduate of Cal State University Fullerton where he earned his Master of Music degree, Phillips has played in a masterclass of world-acclaimed cellists including Johannes Moser and Petr Prause. Mr. Phillips is the founder and curator of the Gingham Concert Series, a project that aims to provide the local community with free, family-friendly concerts, with the mission of promoting the appreciation and preservation of classical music. 

Organzational Staff

  • Benjamin Her

    Onsite Staff

  • Edward Montalvo

    Onsite Staff

  • Ethan Gathe

    Onsite Staff