A native of Florence, Alabama, Cecelia began her musical studies on the violin at age 11 in her public school orchestra. At the age of 15, she began her professional orchestral career with the Shoals Symphony Orchestra. Since then Cecelia has been a regular performer in several professional and regional orchestras across the southern United States including the Tuscaloosa Symphony, North Mississippi Symphony, Meridian Symphony, and Starkville Symphony. In 2020, Cecelia was accepted into the University of Alabama’s Moody School of Music to pursue a Bachelor’s of Music degree with a concentration in music performance. In the summer of 2022, Cecelia was awarded a full scholarship to attend the esteemed Eastern Music Festival’s Young Artist’s Orchestra Program in Greensboro, North Carolina. Passionate about sharing her love of music with the next generation, Cecelia began her career as a private music instructor in 2022 as a violin and viola teacher in the University of Alabama’s Community Music School. In 2023, Cecelia was awarded first prize in the Rogers-Dean Award Competition hosted by Chamber Music Tuscaloosa. Cecelia graduated from the University of Alabama in May of 2024, magna cum laude, with her Bachelor of Music degree. Cecelia is currently based in Memphis, TN, and is pursuing an accelerated track to obtain her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees with a concentration in violin performance at the University of Memphis. Cecelia is principal second of the University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and is an active participant in several chamber music ensembles, including the Contemporary Chamber Players at the University of Memphis. Cecelia was recently awarded first prize at The Beethoven Club’s Young Artist Competition for her performance of Prelude from Bach Partita no. 1, and Andante Cantabile from Mozart Violin Concerto no. 4. Cecelia’s teachers include Dr. Christina Volz-Stomackin, Jenny Grégoire, and Timothy Shiu. Cecelia Erbe performs on a violin made by Paul C. Becker Workshop #28, Chicago 2020, on generous loan from the Becker Family Foundation.