Youth Roving Reporter Raquel Armendariz: Nina DeCesare, Oregon Symphony

Nina's work as a soloist is now sometimes found in a concert hall, but more likely in bars and cafes around Portland. Though she has trained classically for most of her life and currently plays full time with the Oregon Symphony, her solo repertoire is heavily influenced by bassists whose approach and compositions straddle the worlds of classical, bluegrass, Latin, and Middle Eastern music, including François Rabbath, Edgar Meyer, and Renaud Garcia-Fons. Her choice of venue is inspired by the renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz, who began playing in a variety of nightclubs and restaurants amidst a successful solo career, hoping to bring classical music to more unconventional audiences. Nina's sets combine a variety of styles and pieces, incorporating jazz standards and fiddle tunes amidst the more traditional Bach cello suites.