The Maestro, the Cellist, & America's 250th Birthday | Stars, Stripes & Strings with Opera SLO | Up+Adam

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking A world-class cellist plays a 175-year-old instrument on todays show. No, seriously. On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Opera SLO Artistic Director Brian Alhadeff and acclaimed cellist Megan Chartier ahead of Opera SLO's upcoming America Turns 250: Patriotic Pops & Veterans Tribute. We talk about the power of live music, why the Central Coast continues to attract incredible artistic talent, and what happens when an orchestra becomes something bigger than the sum of its parts. Megan shares stories about performing on a cello built in the 1850s, raising a two-year-old future musician, and the fascinating way she sees colors while memorizing music. Plus, she performs live in the studio. It's a conversation about art, community, passion, and why some experiences can only happen when real people gather together to make something beautiful. Learn more: Opera SLO Tickets, upcoming performances, educational programs, and everything happening with Opera San Luis Obispo. https://operaslo.org Clark Center for the Performing Arts Venue information, event details, and tickets for America Turns 250: Patriotic Pops & Veterans Tribute. https://clarkcenter.org/shows/america-turns-250/ Megan Chartier Megan's official website featuring her performance career, recordings, teaching work, and professional biography. https://www.meganchartier.com Opera SLO on Instagram Behind-the-scenes content, performance announcements, artist spotlights, and upcoming events. https://www.instagram.com/operaslo Megan Chartier on Instagram Follow Megan's life as a professional cellist, performer, educator, and musician. https://www.instagram.com/meganchartier.cellist/ Inkermezzo on Instagram Megan's visual art account featuring her original illustrations inspired by classical music, musicians, and music education. https://www.instagram.com/inkermezzo ******** *PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS! Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel: Official Website: adammontiel.com Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music ******** CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK! ******** ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE! ******** FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM ********* Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them! Life Elements City of SLO WoodsHumaneSociety Tin City Distillery Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective Moonshiner on Spotify HERE Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com ©2026 Up+Adam with Adam Montiel / LoBro Studios, All Rights Reserved.