About

Hailed by Piedmont Post Music Critic Joseph Gold as “young in years, but that belies the level of her artistry,” 17-year-old cellist Melissa Lam began her cello studies at age eight with Sergei Riabtchenko. She has additionally worked with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Bonnie Hampton.
Melissa recently premiered the cello ensemble works of Gautier Capuçon’s newest album, Gaïa, alongside the renowned cellist at Davies Symphony Hall.
An accomplished competitor, Melissa is the grand prize winner of the 2025 Antonín Dvořák Competition and has earned first prizes in the 2025 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, 2024 American Virtuoso Competition, and the 2023 US Open Music Competition. She was also recently named a winner of the 2026 YoungArts Competition and a Finalist for From The Top. She is the principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and will be joining the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America for their 2026 European Tour.

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