Cellist Lydia Rhea has traveled across the world sharing the power of storytelling through music. A firm believer in increasing accessibility to concert halls and diversifying the classical canon, her work has taken her from Carnegie Hall to Cuba in performing and teaching capacities. 

As a soloist, Lydia has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and appeared on NPR’s From the Top with jazz pianist Fred Hersch, with whom she performed one of his original compositions in Boston’s Jordan Hall. She regularly performs with pianist Amber Scherer as the Rhea-Scherer Duo; the two prioritize programming beyond the classical canon and have collaborated on recordings of 20th and 21st century works. In the 2025-2026 season, the duo made recital debuts in Chicago on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series; New York City on THE BLANC Pulsing Sounds recital series; Nova Scotia, Canada with a residency at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance (LAMP); and London, England at the Fidelio Cafe. 

A dedicated advocate for sharing music in spaces beyond the concert hall, Lydia traveled to Cuba in October 2024 where she taught and performed with students through CAYO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering students, teachers, and audiences in the US and Cuba. Lydia is an artist with Concerts for Compassion, a NYC-based nonprofit that facilitates cross-cultural integration by bringing music and education to displaced peoples and their local communities, and is a Teaching Artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She regularly brings music into spaces such as immigration centers, hospitals, juvenile detention centers, shelters, and schools. 

Lydia received her Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from The Juilliard School in 2024 where she studied with Natasha Brofsky. This training followed her time at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Upon graduating CIM, Lydia received the Speilman Memorial Award for an exceptional cellist and the Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity. 

Lydia lives in New York City with her cello, Rosie, a Lawrence Wilke instrument made in 2008. When she’s not practicing or teaching, you can find her running through Central Park training for her next race. Follow along with her daily adventures on her socials @lydia_cello.