SHAIN  CARRASCO

 Shain Carrasco began playing the cello at age six. By the time he reached High School, he had dedicated his life to learning and performing cello. North Carolina School of the Arts provided a high school diploma, and a Bachelors Degree, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a Masters Degree in cello performance. In graduate school, Shain began playing with several Bay Area symphonies, teaching cello, and pursuing chamber music outlets.

 

Today, Shain is a member of the Santa Cruz Symphony, and frequently plays in the California, Berkeley, Monterey, Modesto,  Fresno, Napa Valley, and Reno Symphonies and Philharmonics as well as in the San Francisco Sinfonietta, the Russian Chamber Orchestra of Marin and  Mohammad Reza Shajarian's Persian Orchestra. He has also joined the stage with various renowned artists like Dave Brubeck, Peter Gabriel and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 

 

Shain is an active member of the international movement, Classical Revolution - bringing Chamber music to people in accessible often-informal venues. Here, Shain’s students have the opportunity to engage in a diverse community of dedicated musicians and fans while gaining the inspiration to further develop their practice (classicalrevolution.org).

 

Out of Classical Revolution, the Musical Art Quintet (MAQ) was formed with Shain as the founding cellist. MAQ, a string quintet, performs Latin inspired original Chamber music influenced by the dances of Tango, Salsa, and Milonga.  Shain’s love for diverse Chamber music also led him to join Presidio String Quartet – a group dedicated to performing contemporary classical music (presidiostringquartet.com).

 

Shain frequently works as a recording artist and has played on the records of various acclaimed ensembles like indie bands Vetiver, Birds & Batteries, and The Goldenhearts, to world-renowned festival gurus Beats Antique, Musical Art Quintet's Nuevo Chamber, Mohammad Reza Shajarian's Persian Orchestra and several classical collaborations.

 

In Shain’s work, an integral part of his musical life is teaching Cello. Inspiring students to develop, explore, and refine their own cello playing continues to be a very fulfilling role. Shain teaches privately in the East Bay, San Francisco and the South Bay, and is faculty at the Community School of Music and Art in Mountain View (since 2005). Instilling the love of music making in his students, and the critical learning skills a discipline in cello supports, is a real pleasure for Shain. Please visit the Cello Instruction page to learn more.