An astounding international cellist and educator, Simona Barbu, began her musical studies at age seven and gained public attention as a member of the leading string quartet of the Conservatory of Timisoara in her native Romania, where she made her solo debut in Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme with the conservatory’s symphonic orchestra. She has traveled in Europe, Asia, and the United States as a soloist, a chamber musician, clinician, and most recently she held residencies at conservatories and universities in China in the cities of Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Ms. Barbu has also been an active orchestra musician, performing in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, Bismarck Symphony Orchestra, and serving as principal with both the Eroica Ensemble in Memphis and the Starkville Symphony Orchestra in Mississippi.Dr. Barbu graduated as the Music Conservatory valedictorian from Lynn University in Florida, continuing her studies in the master of music in cello performance program at Southern Methodist University under the tutelage of Nathaniel Rosen and Christopher Adkins. Subsequently, Barbu earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Memphis where she studied with cellist Leonardo Altino. She has participated in festivals such as the Brevard Music Center, Masterworks, and the International Academy of Music in Castelnuovo di Garfagana, Italy, and performed in master classes for Timothy Eddy, Yehuda Hanani, Lynn Harrell, Carol Ou, Amit Peled, Aldo Parisot and Janos Starker. During her doctorate studies, Barbu served as a faculty member at Mississippi State University, where she taught strings, coached string chamber ensembles, and conducted the orchestra. In 2011, Dr. Barbu was appointed Assistant Professor of Cello and Burgum Endowed Chair at the University of North Dakota, where she currently teaches cello and chamber music. She plays on a modern cello made by Andrew Carruth in 2003.