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; in the 2025-2026 season, the duo made recital debuts in Chicago, New York, London, and Canada. 

A dedicated advocate for sharing music in spaces beyond the concert hall, 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 from The Juilliard School and her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She lives in New York City with her cello, Rosie, a Lawrence Wilke instrument made in 2008. Follow along with her daily adventures on her socials @lydia_cello.