Sayaka Selina comes from a musical family. At the age of six she started to play cello and became a pupil of Rebecca Firth at the Zürich Chamber Orchestra of Classical Music and Jazz. In 2006 she entered Thomas Demenga's class at the City of Basel Music Academy and in 2008 she started there also her bachelor studies.

She won 1st Prize in the category 'Cello solo' in 2004 and 'Suisa Special Award' in category 'Duo/Chamber music' in 2006 at the Swiss national competition 'Schweizerischer Jugendmusikwettbewerb', 2nd Prize at the International Cello Competition 2008 in Liezen (Austria) and 2nd Prize and EMCY Prize at the International Competition for Young Cellists 'Antonio Janigro' 2008 in Poreč (Croatia). Sayaka Selina is also a recipient of the Migros Kulturprozent Studienpreis.

She performed as a soloist among others with the Zürich Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2007 and the Zürich Chamber Orchestra in 2007 and 2008. In November 2010 she will perform with the Orchester Reinach, playing Joseph Haydn’s Concerto in D Major.

Sayaka participated in international festivals and courses such as Margess/Astona International from 2004 to 2008, Valdres Summer Symphony in Norway in 2008, the London Masterclasses in 2009, Kronberg Cello Festival in 2009 and the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove in 2010 and had lessons among others with Francis Gouton, Troels Svane, Frans Helmerson, Ralph Kirshbaum, Alf Richard, Henning Kraggerud, Oleg Kogan, Louise Hopkins and Aage Kvalbein.

Repertoire

Solo

J. S. Bach, Suite No.4 in E flat Major (BWV 1010)
G. Cassadò, Suite for Cello Solo
G. Ligeti, Sonata for Cello Solo
W. Lutoslawki, Sacher Variation
A. Piatti, Caprice No. 12 (Op. 25)

With piano

L. van Beethoven, Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major (Op. 69)
L. Boccherini, Sonata in A Major
J. Brahms, Sonata for Cello and Piano in E minor (Op. 38)
J. Brahms, Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major (Op. 99)
T. Demenga, New York Honk
A. Dvorak, Waldesruhe (Op. 68/V)
G. Fauré, Sicilienne (Op. 78)
E. Grieg, Sonata for Cello and Piano in A minor (Op. 36)
F. Mendelssohn, Song without Words (Op. 109)
N. Paganini, Variations on One String after a Theme by Rossini
G. Piatigorsky, Variations on a Theme of Paganini
D. Popper, Hungarian Rhapsody (Op. 68)
C. Saint-Saëns, Allegro Appassionato (Op. 43)
R. Schumann, Adagio and Allegro (Op. 70)
A. Vivaldi, Sonata No. 3 in A minor (RV43)

With orchestra

L. Boccherini, Concerto in B flat Major
A. Dvorak, Rondo (Op. 94)
E. Elgar, Concerto in E minor (Op. 85)
G. Fauré, Élégie (Op. 24)
J. Haydn, Concerto in C Major (Hob. VIIb/1)
J. Haydn, Concerto in D Major (Hob. VIIb/2)
C. Saint-Saëns, Concerto No. 1 in A minor (Op. 33)
D. Shostakovich, Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major (Op. 107)
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Pezzo capriccioso (Op. 62)
A. Vivaldi, Concerto for two cellos in G minor (RV531)

If you are interested in working with Sayaka Selina, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.