Fashion Meets the Phil

After winning the Hennings-Fischer Competition in 2016, I had the opportunity to play Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra for their 25th Anniversary Gala Concert. For this concert, the Burbank Philharmonic partnered with Elida Berry-Donat from Woodbury University’s School of Fashion Design to make me this dress. Although it was wildly outside my comfort zone at the time, I’ve since come to realize what a powerful message the clothes I wear on stage can send. Wearing Elida’s dress made me feel so powerful—perhaps attaching meaning to the clothes I wear on stage is a first step toward reclaiming my body as a woman. To read more about the BPO’s Fashion Meets the Phil project, click here. Scroll through the pictures below to see Elida’s beautiful work!