Rebecca Merblum

Rebecca Merblum has been dedicated to chamber music throughout her life as a cellist. Originally from Connecticut, Rebecca studied the cello at the Hartt School, working with the Emerson String Quartet and Mitchell Stern of the American String Quartet, and earned her Bachelor and Master Degrees from the Cleveland Institute and New England Conservatory.

As a founding member of the Azmari Quartet, she participated in the Graduate Quartet Residency at Northern Illinois University under the tutelage of the Vermeer Quartet. The Azmari Quartet served as the Corbett String Quartet in Residence at Northern Kentucky University from 2004-2009.

While performing with the Azmari Quartet, Rebecca collaborated with pianist Awadagin Pratt, Audrey Luna, Katherine Murdock, Marc Johnson, Anthony McGill, Michael Strauss and members of the Jupiter Quartet. Along with her colleagues, she also served as Co-Artistic Director of the Norse Festival.

Rebecca joins the Artaria Quartet from Los Angeles where for the past six years she has cultivated a voice within the city’s diversified landscape, performing with the Salastina Chamber Music Series, Sundays at LACMA, the Green Umbrella Series (Los Angeles Philharmonic) and Classical Encounters.

Additional chamber music performances involved collaborations with Michele Zukovsky (LAPhil), Martin Chalifour (LAPhil), Ronald Leonard (LAPhil), Andrew Schulman (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) and Panic Group, an ensemble dedicated to the presentation of new music. Rebecca was also a substitute with the LAPhil and LAOpera from 2010-2016 and performed on several film soundtracks.

A dedicated teacher, Rebecca served as the Chair of the String Department at the Pasadena Conservatory where she was a member of the cello and chamber music faculties. Her students have gained recognition in numerous competitions and festivals including the Piatigorsky International Festival.