The 2025 Cello│Fresno – International Cello Festival is scheduled to run from October 3 to November 2 at Fresno State. The event will feature Bion Tsang, a Grammy-nominated cellist who has received several honors, including the Avery Fisher Career Grant, an MEF Career Grant, and the bronze medal in the IX International Tchaikovsky Competition. Tsang has performed internationally and currently leads the strings department at the University of Texas at Austin’s Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music.
A highlight of the festival is the Cello Mania Concert, set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, at the Fresno State Concert Hall. General admission tickets are priced at $25. The concert program will include works for cello and orchestra by composers such as Bruch, Enescu, Respighi, Rubinstein, and Tchaikovsky. The Fresno State Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas Loewenheim, professor of cello and orchestra director, will perform Dvořák’s Scherzo Capriccioso.
The Closing Gala Concert will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, also at the School of Music Concert Hall, with general admission tickets available for $25. The program will feature two cello ensembles conducted by Emilio and Cara Elise Colón, performances by the Youth Orchestras of Fresno with Concerto Competition winners, and pieces by Davidoff and Popper. Tsang and Emilio Colón are scheduled to perform works by Dvořák, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky, while Rossini’s William Tell Overture will be conducted by Loewenheim.
Throughout the festival, students will participate in master classes, workshops, and a concerto competition, culminating in the public concerts on November 1 and 2. The event includes two large cello ensembles: an advanced group conducted by Emilio Colón for graduate, college, and high school cellists, and a young ensemble led by Cara Colón for beginners.
The festival is organized by artistic directors Thomas Loewenheim of Fresno State, Emilio Colón of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and Cara Colón. Additional faculty guest artists include Thomas Landschoot from Arizona State University and Jonathan Ruck from the University of Oklahoma.
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