How I won my job at the San Francisco Symphony, aged 18

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My name is Starla Breshears and I’m an 18-year-old cellist joining the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) for its 2026-2027 season. 

Music has always been a very important part of my life. I started playing cello at age three, around the same time my siblings Dustin and Valery started playing violin, and we did a lot of chamber music together. My dad is also a piano teacher, and up until I was ten, he managed the local youth orchestra in Chico, California.

So growing up, music was a prominent part of my life, and my love for making music with others grew quickly. It became clear to me that I enjoyed playing music with others much more than by myself.

When I was seven, I began studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) pre-college division, where I studied for te years and grew as a person and musician. Saturdays, when I had SFCM classes and lessons, and eventually San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra rehearsals, became the highlight of my week.

I just finished my final year of high school at Colburn School’s Music Academy in Los Angeles. 

Several practical and musical reasons led me to apply for the SFS position. As a senior, deciding what to do next year was a very important decision, so I considered every possible option. I knew that I wanted to be close to my family, as I have five amazing siblings in the East Bay who I’d love to spend time with and watch as they enter elementary, middle, and high school.

I also knew that being in the symphony would push me in ways the school alone wouldn’t; in a symphony, you have to learn new repertoire each week, you get to work with strikingly different conductors and soloists, and you’re surrounded by experienced musicians.

The symphony position really aligned with my personal and musical goals, and I went into the audition process with a lot of commitment and enthusiasm. 

The audition process definitely had its ups and downs, but looking back, it was such an exciting experience. I started preparing the repertoire – 19 excerpts and two concertos – about two-and-a-half months before the live auditions, and I put in every ounce of dedication I had. I don’t think I’ve ever prepared so much for anything before.

Refining excerpts was a very different process from preparing the repertoire I’d worked on before, but I ultimately found it just as rewarding and meaningful. This included studying the excerpts’ orchestral scores, listening to countless recordings, playing with metronome, breaking down every technical aspect from bow distribution to intonation to articulation, and most importantly, familiarising myself with the style of each piece and composer.

I had a lot of guidance from my teachers, Mr. Greensmith, Mr. Aaron, David Goldblatt, and many other musicians. Also, I was fortunate to be playing on a beautiful Betts cello this year, an instrument kindly loaned to the Colburn School by Preston and Nicole Geeting.

I knew a big challenge for the audition would be managing my nerves, so I did a lot to prepare mentally. Through mock auditions—in studio class, with friends, and online—I grew more comfortable performing and more confident in my preparation. 

When I came to the Bay Area for the auditions, I felt more excited than nervous. I painted landscapes with my boyfriend, hiked, and watched movies in the days preceding my audition. My boyfriend and I took the Caltrain to and from my auditions, and during the trips, we watched Spiderman and Coco (my first time watching them), and it really helped to decompress amidst the stress.

Before my semi-final audition, I was feeling pretty nervous in the waiting room with the other candidates. But once I started warming up, I felt grounded in my preparation and I even had enough time to play through the entire repertoire list slowly.

When it was time to go onstage, I was ready to play from a place of confidence, joy, and gratitude for the support I had from teachers, family, and friends. I reminded myself how important Davies Symphony Hall was to me; it’s where I played every week with the SFS Youth Orchestra last year, where my first orchestra concert with the SF choral society was, and where I’ve seen so many inspiring performances.

I felt honoured to be filling this space with my music and myself in the audition. I felt really good about how I played and celebrated by eating Thai food.  

The final round of the audition felt more demanding than the semi-final. It was earlier in the morning and the repertoire list was longer with a sight-reading excerpt. Again, right before the audition, I played through everything slowly and I felt grounded in my preparation.

It was harder for me to focus through the final audition than it was for the semifinal, but I still felt pretty good about how it went and I felt that I was able to express what I wanted despite the nerves and pressure. Afterwards, my boyfriend and I celebrated by eating udon and ice cream, and it felt like such a relief for the auditions to be over. 

I had my trial week with the symphony several weeks after the completion of the auditions. I was absolutely thrilled when I found out I would be playing Beethoven Symphonies no.2 and no.7 for my trial week, as Beethoven is one of, if not my favourite, composers.

It was an incredible experience to play along with the musicians of the SF Symphony and see how everyone inspired each other. A lot of important people in my life came to the concerts to support me and I got to celebrate after each concert with them. 

I’m so excited to be a part of the symphony because I’ll get to play new and amazing repertoire every week with dedicated musicians in a very special place. I’m looking forward to entering adulthood with this amazing job, and it’s exciting to be apartment hunting in San Francisco and planning cute concert black outfits. I’m delighted to join the symphony, and I can’t wait until the season starts!