In last Tuesday’s (3/24) San Francisco Classical Voice, Janos Gereben writes, “Not long ago, symphony orchestras in Europe and the U.S. consisted of ‘mature’ white men, and there are still living memories of the first woman or the first Black musician joining a major orchestra. Those days are mercifully gone, but when an 18-year-old receives a contract with the San Francisco Symphony, that’s still… interesting. The orchestra’s newest and youngest member is cellist Starla Breshears. Her contract is set to begin next season. She is a 2025 graduate of the SF Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College Program, and is set to graduate from high school this year…. Breshears served as principal cello in the SFS Youth Orchestra during the 2024-2025 season and as assistant principal cello in the San Francisco Choral Society. SFS Principal Cello Rainer Eudeikis [said], ‘Starla’s exceptional musicianship and facility set her apart, both during her blind audition and throughout her trial with the orchestra.’ … Breshears is a Kohl Scholar currently studying at the Colburn Music Academy with Clive Greensmith. She was formerly a Joseph Chan Scholarship recipient at the SF Conservatory of Music Pre-College Academy … She began studying cello at age three.”
