The Cello Sherpa Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

What if the thing that makes people laugh at your art is the same thing that makes them listen closer? That’s the tension—and the opportunity—at the heart of our conversation with cellist and filmmaker Nick Canellakis, whose viral sketches and serious performances are two sides of one craft. We dig into the roots: a musical family, early piano, and the moment the cello took hold. Then the parallel story: childhood home videos evolving into a full-fledged filmmaking habit, culminating in a Curtis holiday “skit night” that became a real short film. Nick walks us through his modern toolkit—single-camera iPhone shoots, simple mics, thoughtful coverage, and Adobe Premiere—to show how cinematic instincts can thrive without massive crews. The secret isn’t chasing trends; it’s writing what you know: the anxious, funny, fiercely devoted inner life of musicians.
That creative momentum has reshaped his concertizing. Nick shares how a five-minute live sketch can prime an audience for Tchaikovsky or Dvorak without diluting the music’s weight. We talk about the Orlando Philharmonic collaboration, the balance between entertainment and excellence, and why he refuses to become “a comedian who plays cello.” The music leads, the comedy widens the door, and both raise the stakes for connection.
We also explore his role on the Curtis Institute faculty and a fresh teaching model where students study with multiple mentors, including visits from artists like Gary Hoffman. It’s a system built for synthesis: different bowings, fingerings, and philosophies that invite players to own their choices and find their sound. Finally, Nick offers grounded advice for young musicians—swing bigger, don’t sell yourself short, and choose paths for love, not fear. If you’ve wondered how to blend passions without losing rigor, this one maps the territory.

If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more musicians and creators can find it. 

For more information on Nick Canellakis: https://www.nicholascanellakis.com/biography

You can also find Nick Canellakis on Instagram and Facebook: @nick.canellakis_cellist

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com 

A sacred plant, a living coastline, and a cello that sings in two voices—Sweetgrass brings them together with uncommon clarity. 

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, sits down with composer Dawn Avery and cellist Wilhelmina Smith to share how a pandemic idea turned into an immersive album where Mohawk language, indigenous song forms, and contemporary classical textures breathe the same air. Dawn traces her journey from conservatory training to a compositional practice grounded in Mohawk heritage, storytelling, and soundscapes that fold in blues, meditative space, and rock energy. Wilhelmina reflects on early breakthroughs at Curtis, a life-shaping stint in George Crumb’s experimental lab, and the chamber instincts that make her a natural collaborator. Together they unpack the title track’s symbolism—sweetgrass as strength and tenderness—and the craft behind multitracking cello lines that anticipate each other’s rubato, merging voice and instrument into a single, human pulse. We go inside key works, including We Enter Together and Decolonization, a gripping solo journey that threads a healing song, a women’s stomp dance, blues gestures, and a Hendrix-tinted national anthem to reframe what “American music” can hold. The conversation widens into a practical guide for making records today: funding with grants and community programs, choosing the right hall and producer, navigating label partnerships, owning your masters, and prioritizing digital releases when physical CDs gather dust. At heart, this is about why artists still record: to plant repertoire for younger players, to carry culture forward with respect, and to keep curiosity at the center of the craft. If you care about new music, indigenous voices, recording workflows, or the evolving music industry, this story offers both inspiration and a roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves the cello, and leave a review with the track that stayed with you.

For more information on Wilhelmina Smith: https://www.wilhelminasmith.com/bio.html

For more information on Dawn Avery: https://www.dawnavery.com/

You can also find Wilhelmina and Dawn on Instagram and Facebook: @dawnaveryartist @wscello

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com 

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Emilio Colón. Emilio is Professor of Cello at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. After getting off to a rocky start with his teacher Janos Starker, Emilio talks about how he felt that he was dead last amongst his peers on the cello, which in turn motivated him to work as hard as he could to prove that he had what it took to be successful. Shortly after graduating from Indiana, Janos Starker called him and invited him back to join the cello faculty of his alma mater, making him the second youngest professor ever selected to teach at the Jacobs School of Music, at the age of 26.   

For more information on Emilio: https://emiliocolon.com/

You can also find Emilio on Instagram and Facebook: @colon_emilio

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky @theCelloSherpa

For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com 

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Chris French, Associate Principal Cellist of the Houston Symphony. They talk about developing a proper exercise routine to stay healthy and injury free. 

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on twitter @theCello Sherpa

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Blaise Dejardin, principal cellist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. They speak about his journey from attending the New England Conservatory  to immediately winning a position in the cello section at the age of 23 years old, landing the principal position 10 years later, and the recent release of his new book "Audition Day" - Your Guide for a Successful Orchestral Cello Audition.  

For more information on Blaise Dejardin check out his website www.BlaiseDejardin.com
For his cello arrangements:
www.opuscello.com
Copies of his book are also available here:
https://www.blaisedejardin.com/shop/audition-day-book
or Carriage House Violins https://www.carriagehouseviolins.com/cgi-bin/music/scripts/violin-viola-cello-music.cgi?itemno=BKDEJAAUDITIONOC
or in person at Salchow and Sons Bowmakers

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on twitter @theCello Sherpa

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Dr. Dan Benardot, Professor of Nutrition at Emory University and creator of a new course entitled "Nutrition for the Performing Arts." They speak about the best way to fuel your body for maximum performance, and how to maintain optimum energy balance throughout the day.  Dr. Benardot was previously Professor of Nutrition, and Professor of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University (GSU). He has also served as nutritionist for many US Olympic teams, including the 1996 Gold Medal winning USA Gymnastics team, and served as nutritionist for the Atlanta Falcons for several years leading up to their 2017 NFC Championship. 

You can Follow Dr. Dan Benardot on LinkedIn or Twitter @DrDanBenardot

If you are interested in picking up one of Dr. Benardot's books "Advanced Sports Nutrition" Its available here: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Sports-Nutrition-Dan-Benardot/dp/1492593095/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10A37CVBUBP4J&keywords=advanced+sports+nutrition+3rd+edition&qid=1643244493&sprefix=advanced+sports%2Caps%2C82&sr=8-1

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Brinton Smith, principal cellist of the Houston Symphony,  faculty member of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and the Aspen Music Festival. They talk about the rigorous process of taking auditions, what works, and what doesn't, and Brinton offers creative solutions to help improve upon the current system.

For more information on Brinton Smith, check out his website www.brintonaverilsmith.com

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Brinton Smith, principal cellist of the Houston Symphony,  faculty member of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and the Aspen Music Festival. They talk about the rigorous process of taking auditions, what works, and what doesn't, and Brinton offers creative solutions to help improve upon the current system.

For more information on Brinton Smith, check out his website www.brintonaverilsmith.com

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Stephanie Voss, the owner of Voss Violins located in Atlanta, GA. They talk about the rigorous process it took just for her to get admitted to school in Germany, her extensive training before coming to the US, and she shares her tips for maintaining your string instrument as the seasons change. 

For more information on Stephanie Voss, visit www.vossviolins.com
For string instrument rentals visit www.violinrentaldirect.com

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on twitter @theCello Sherpa

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's cello section, Rainer Eudeikis, Brad Ritchie,  and Tommy Carpenter. In this two part series, they discuss sitting on the audition panel and listening to 99 cellists audition from behind the screen. They share advice on what they were listening for, and give tips on how to play a winning audition.

If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com

Follow us on twitter @theCello Sherpa