Heather Moncrief Rivera-Torres, cellist, began her musical studies at the age of 5 in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in cello performance from The Eastman School of Music and a Masters degree in cello performance from Georgia State University, with additional graduate study at Emory University and the Chicago Symphony Orchestral Studies Program of Roosevelt University. Her principal teachers include Martha Gerschefski, Pamela Frame, Steven Balderston, Natalia Khoma and Anthony Elliot. She has performed in the US and abroad, including two international tours with the American Russian Young Artist’s Orchestra, has worked with prominent conductors such as Valerie Gergiev and David Zinman, and is a former member of the South Carolina Philharmonic, Illinois Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, New Millennium Orchestra. She is the winner of the Thomas Brumby Concerto Competition, the Atlanta Young Artists Concerto Competition and has appeared as soloist with the St. Vincent Chamber Orchestra. She has an avid interest in Baroque and Early music and has studied Baroque Chamber music with Christel Thielmann and Paul Odette at the Eastman School of Music.

Ms. Moncrief Rivera-Torres is the co-director and founder of the Bella Musica Festival in Chicago, IL. She currently resides in Dallas, TX, and regularly performs as a chamber and orchestral musician and maintains a studio of private students.