Cristian Muresan

I’m a dedicated and accomplished cellist with extensive leadership and international performance experience. I currently serve as Principal Cellist of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, performing regularly at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and I was selected as an Alternative for the 2026 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) through Carnegie Hall’s national and extremely competitive audition process. I also lead as Principal Cellist of my school’s Foundation Orchestra.

I am a 1st Prize winner of the Golden Classical Music Awards and a multiple-time winner of the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, with solo performances at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. I have also performed internationally in Vienna, Belgium, and France, and also performed concertos locally here in Southern California!

My repertoire includes major concerto works such as the Elgar Concerto and Rococo Variations, as well as the essential Bach Suites and Popper Etudes. I bring both high-level technical training and real-world performance experience to every lesson.

My teaching style is highly intentional, structured, and musical. I use an 80/20 approach in lessons: we spend 20% of our time efficiently reinforcing the easier sections of a piece, and 80% deeply refining the most technically and musically challenging passages. This ensures that students make real progress where it matters most.

I specialize in developing musicality above all else. Technique is essential, but music is STORYTELLING! I work closely with students on phrasing, shaping lines, dynamic control, tone color, and interpretation so they do so much more than just “play the notes" and, in the end, communicate something beautiful. The cello is the closest instrument to the human voice, and I teach students how to make it sing especially in slow, lyrical repertoire.

At the same time, I provide systematic, proven methods for building strong technique. I break down shifts, fast passages, articulation, clarity, and vibrato into clear, repeatable processes drawn from years of training and masterclasses with world-renowned musicians. Students leave with practical tools they can apply immediately to their upcoming practice sessions and performances. 

Most importantly, I teach students how to form their own interpretation of a piece. We of course respect the composer’s markings and establish solid technical foundations, but I guide each student toward discovering their unique voice. Because true expression is the essence of great cello playing.