Between bites of Korean BBQ, cellists from the UT Orchestra discussed a plan to open classical music to wider audiences. Since their establishment in the fall of 2024, Texas Cellos at Austin developed into an intimate chamber ensemble bringing that vision to life.
“We hope that a cello choir concert where we’re playing movie music is more accessible than … the Austin Symphony playing a Mahler symphony,” said Tristan Ramon, business and cello performance freshman and the organization’s president of external affairs. “Even though that’s amazing, people have a hard time accessing that as non-musicians.”
Recently, Ramon helped establish the ensemble as a chapter of TexasCellos, a larger nonprofit that provides many of their musical arrangements.
This semester’s program includes themes from movies such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Game of Thrones” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The group brings a high-energy atmosphere to performances, often incorporating props like sunglasses and slide whistles to keep audiences engaged.
“We don’t want people to feel … stressed about etiquette or when to clap,” Ramon said. “We really want it to be a modernized version of (a classical concert).”
This modern approach is made possible in part by the instrument itself. Akhil Gharpurey, mechanical engineering junior and president of internal affairs, said the versatility of the cello allows the ensemble to replicate an orchestra and fosters a sense of camaraderie among the players.
“You can mimic the violin, you can mimic a French horn, you can even mimic a double bass” Gharpurey said. “(We) have so much to bond over. There’s so much cello repertoire out there that it just becomes really special.”
As the group grows, Ramon said accessibility remains a priority. Texas Cellos at Austin welcomes players of all levels and partners with the Butler School of Music to provide instruments for students who don’t have one on campus.
“If you don’t want to worry about an audition, if you’re a beginner, if you’re picking it up again after 10 years of not playing, please feel free to join,” Ramon said. “We have no barrier. So if you want to come, we are happy to have you.”
After experiencing burnout from high school orchestra, Helena Chandy, chemistry and Plan II junior and vice president, said Texas Cellos at Austin provided a close community without the pressure of high-stakes performance. The experience has also complemented her work as a STEM student.
“There’s this idea that if you’re a STEM major, you can’t be involved in (music) because it’s too time consuming,” Chandy said. “But every single job or internship interview I have, they ask about this, and they’re so interested in it because it’s so weird and niche.”
For Gharpurey, the ensemble provides a creative outlet from the demands of his engineering coursework.
“You’re not necessarily trapped to the left side of your brain, you get to express some creativity with the right side of your brain,” Gharpurey said. “I feel really privileged to have access to something like that.”
With their final concert of the season approaching April 28 at Jessen Auditorium, Texas Cellos at Austin hopes to share their artistry and invites audiences into an engaging experience of classical music.
“I hope (people) realize that classical music and the whole world of instrumentation is accessible, and that it can be fun and that the cello … can be used as a gateway to learn music,” Ramon said.
