Samuel Cao, cello
Meet Samuel
Samuel Cao (cello), 17, is a high school senior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He started playing the cello at 6 years old and studies privately with Gloria dePasquale of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Samuel serves as the principal cellist of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, is a full scholarship recipient in the Settlement Music School Advanced Study Chamber Music Program, and has been a member of the Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) Artists’ Initiative since 2020. Most recently, he was named a 2026 National YoungArts Award Winner in Classical Music.
During the 2024-2025 season, Samuel performed as a soloist with the Warminster Symphony Orchestra and the Rowan University String Ensemble as a winner of their respective concerto competitions. As a member of the Myer Schwartz Piano Trio, he has been a two-time semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2024, 2025) and a finalist in the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, Samuel was awarded First Runner-Up in the 2022 Philadelphia Young Artists’ Orchestra Concerto Competition and second prize in the 2023 Bucks County Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.
Samuel has had the opportunity to participate in prestigious summer music programs such as the Heifetz International Music Institute and the Domaine Forget International Music Festival, working with teachers like Colin Carr, Clara Minhye Kim, Thomas Mesa, and Julia Lichten. He has participated in masterclasses with artists like Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Amit Peled, Blaise Déjardin, Christine Lee, and Timothy Eddy.
Outside of music, Samuel enjoys debating competitively on the high school national circuit and leading his school’s business team, creating real-world solutions like a plant-disease detecting robot and a lithium-ion battery recycler. He is a huge fan of all Philly sports teams, and he spends his free time exploring the city’s many museums, food spots, and neighborhood parks.
Receiving the Award will allow Samuel to purchase a new bow and cello case that will support him through college and into the professional field. The funds will also help to cover his travel and lodging needs for his upcoming college auditions, and will allow him to network by taking consultation lessons with prospective teachers.
