Emilia Tries the Cello

Meet Emilia. An inquisitive little girl, who attends a concert with her parents. As she looks and listens to the symphony orchestra, she is mesmerized by the beautiful cello sound. She immediately wants to learn more about this instrument, music, famous composers, and famous cellists.
Follow her on this exciting new musical journey, because she is eager to share her knowledge with kids her age!
This books includes a short story, as well as listening resources, and tips for parents.

Katarina M. Pliego holds a Doctorate in Cello Performance from the University of Northern Colorado, where she studied with Dr. Gal Faganel. She received her Master's degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and her Bachelor's degree from Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge. Her teachers include Rudi de Groote, Caroline Bosanquet, Natalia Gutman, Daniel Rothmuller, Peter Stumpf, Alexander Buzlov, David Grigorian, and members of the Brodsky and Chilingirian Quartets.
Katarina is an avid performer, and regularly performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. As a soloist she has performed with UNC Wind Ensemble, Anglia Ruskin University Orchestra, K239 Orchestra, and Nottingham Youth Orchestra. As an orchestral player she has performed all over the world in music halls such as Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Kennedy Center, Renee and Henry Segerstrom Hall, Place des Arts, Sony Centre, Cadogan Hall, Royal Albert Hall and more.
Katarina is also an enthusiastic teacher and divides her time between a full private cello studio and Coal Ridge Middle School. Many of her cello students have taken part in highly competitive district and state-wide orchestras and have received generous scholarships to study cello performance at universities. In the summer she teaches at Rocky Ridge Music, Just Chamber Music, and leads her own musicianship camp in Longmont, LoCo Music Lab.
In 2022, Katarina published a children's book Emilia Tries the Cello, and has since been giving readings and performances at libraries and Children's museums around Colorado. Her next big project is publishing her book in Spanish and performing a children's concert as a narrator and soloist with the Aurora Symphony Orchestra in April 2025.
Katarina plays on a modern cello made for her by the British luthier Rod Ward, and a French Mirecourt bow. The cello and bow were purchased with inheritance she received from her late cello teacher, Caroline Bosanquet.