Fine Cellos

“I play cello in the Bergamot Quartet. Two of us were already playing instruments made by David, so I was able to experience his artistry and craftsmanship up close. I really connected to the sound of our violist’s and first violinist’s instruments.  I had tried about 30 cellos and was beginning to feel hopeless, so I took a shot at commissioning David.

The process was exciting! He was very thoughtful about making me the perfect instrument throughout the entire experience.  I was blown away at how quickly the cello was made, and I couldn’t be happier with it.  It is warm, powerful, loud, and so easy to play all at once. I feel refreshed and inspired and genuinely have fun practicing now.”

Iréne has performed at venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and New York City Center. She is a member of the Bergamot Quartet, a New York-based string quartet committed to advocating, creating, and educating audiences about music by living composers. She also co-leads a chamber project with pianist Chelsea de Souza, dedicated to commissioning works by Asian-American composers, most recently funded by New Music USA. Additionally, she is a member of the Tal Yahalom Quintet, an eclectic group of performers from NYC’s jazz, contemporary classical, and Brazilian music scenes.

Ms. Han plays Opus 33  Cello 1

“Cello 3 – Opus 37, Little Red, is the first cello I’ve named in my 64 years of playing the cello. It is a gorgeous color and beautifully carved, a work of art. I get pleasure just looking at it. This wonderful instrument won me over immediately and makes me feel rejuvenated.”

Cellist Debbie Davis is a life-long professional musician, teacher, and musical organizer. She was a member of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and for 25 years, was Principal Cellist of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra in Allentown, PA and President of the Pennsylvania Cello Society.

 Debbie graduated from the high school division of the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and spent a year at the Paris Conservatory where she was awarded a First Medal in Cello. She received a Bachelor’s of Music cum laude from the Hartt School of Music and a Master’s of Music with a Performer’s Certificate award in Cello from the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. Her teachers included Irving Klein, André Navarra, Bernard Greenhouse, Raya Garbousova and Fritz Magg. She played in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, taught at the Reykjavik Conservatory, and was on the music faculty of Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.  She founded and ran music camps in Pennsylvania for fourteen years, including string quartet camps, jazz camps, trumpet, flute, clarinet and old-time music camps. She came back to live in Chapel Hill in 2015 and is currently General Coordinator of the North Carolina Cello Society.