Profile

Get to Know Me!

1. What inspired you to pursue music?

I remember very clearly listening to Jacqueline du Pré’s recording of the Elgar Cello Concerto, and that moment really changed everything for me. It felt like the music was putting a voice to emotions I didn’t yet have words for. That experience made me want to understand not just how to play the cello, but why music exists the way it does and what human experiences are behind it.

After that, I didn’t really question it. I just knew I wanted to play the cello and build a life in music, and I went after it pretty intensely. From early on, I think I saw musicians as storytellers, and that idea is what drew me in the most.

2. What do you like about teaching?

What I really love about teaching is meeting each student where they are and figuring out what’s going to make them excited about music. Sometimes that’s a technical breakthrough, sometimes it’s a musical shift, and sometimes it’s just a deeper understanding of what it means to be a musician. Those moments are always really meaningful.

I care a lot about helping students find their own voice. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, because everyone brings something different to the instrument. When teaching gets too rigid, students can start to sound the same or lose a healthy relationship with music, and I try to avoid that.

When a student feels stuck, I try to help them recognize what they’re already capable of. Most of us don’t give ourselves enough credit for the amount of work we’re putting in. That shift from thinking “I can’t do this” to realizing “I actually can” is a big moment, and it’s exciting to be part of that.

I also try to create an environment where there’s a lot of laughter and room to explore. The more open and relaxed you are, the easier it is to learn and take risks. Music should be challenging, but it should also be enjoyable.

Beyond just playing better, I want students to come away with a broader understanding of what it means to be a musician. To enjoy the process, to not take themselves too seriously, and to see that hard work and fun can actually go together.

3. What has surprised you most about your career in music? How have your musical aspirations changed over time?

When I first decided to pursue music, I didn’t really have a fixed idea of what a career would look like. I just knew I wanted to play really beautiful music at a high level with people I enjoyed. In a lot of ways, I’ve been lucky that this has actually become my reality. I’ve been able to perform solo, in orchestras, and in chamber settings across the country with colleagues and friends I care deeply about.

What has surprised me most is how much the meaning of the work has deepened over time. As a younger musician, I was more focused on playing at a high level and achieving certain goals. Over time, that shifted. Now I care much more about the stories we’re telling through music and the impact those stories can have. Whether the music was written 300 years ago or is being created today, I’m interested in how it reflects people’s lives and experiences and how it connects us.

My idea of success has changed along with that. I don’t really think of it in terms of achievements as much as I do in terms of connection. Success, to me, is about the people you’re able to communicate with and the relationships you build through music.

Teaching has played a huge role in that shift. Being able to share what I’ve learned with students has expanded my understanding of what this career can be. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of passing on a tradition while also helping students find their own way of expressing themselves within it. That balance between honoring what came before us and staying open to new ideas is something I think about a lot, both in my playing and in how I work with students.

Professional Bio

Executive and Artistic Director of Viridian Strings, cellist Kyle Stachnik is the newly appointed Professor of Cello at Sacramento State . He is also the Fourth Chair Cellist of the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Bay Philharmonic. He holds a Master’s degree in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Jennifer Culp, and a Bachelor of Music from the Frost School of Music, where he studied under Ross Harbaugh. He is an alumnus of Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Crispin Campbell.

An active performer in the Bay Area, Stachnik has played with ensembles such as the New Century Chamber Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Opera San José, Vallejo Festival Orchestra, and SF Broadway. He has recorded at Skywalker Sound and recently appeared on a Deutsche Grammophon release with the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to his position at Sacramento State, he is also Professor of Cello at Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA, and maintains a private teaching studio. Stachnik is the co-director of Viridian Strings, a summer chamber music series in Northern Michigan, now in its eighth season in 2025. He performs on a 2018 Raymond Schryer cello and a John Greenwood bow.

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Get to Know Me!

Professional Bio