Isaac Pastor-Chermak leads a diverse and active musical life at home in Northern California and around the United States. A quintessential 21st-century artist, he engages deeply as a cellist, teacher, conductor, and administrator, motivated by an abiding love of sharing great music with friends and collaborators.

Though he is active in nearly every facet of today’s classical music profession, Mr. Pastor-Chermak is a career orchestral player. In any given weekend of the season, he can be found performing as Principal Cellist of Vallejo Symphony and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony; Assistant Principal Cellist of Opera San Jose and Fresno Philharmonic; and as a member of Marin Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, California Symphony, Monterey Symphony, and Santa Barbara Symphony.

In the world of chamber music, Mr. Pastor-Chermak partners regularly with pianists Alison Lee and Miles Graber in sonata programs, in addition to myriad one-off creative projects and recordings with colleagues worldwide. As a recording artist, his discography includes The Shadow Dancer with the Auriga String Quartet (out of print); Backlash Bach with Red Cedar Chamber Music (out of print); Preludes and Prologues with Ms. Lee (CD, streaming); The Year 1948 with Ms. Lee and Mr. Graber (CD, LP, streaming); and Brahms Cello Sonatas and Songs with Ms. Lee and mezzo-soprano Hope Nelson (CD, streaming).

As an educator, Mr. Pastor-Chermak teaches an award-winning studio of cello students. In addition, he is Adjunct Professor of Music History at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is founder and Music Director Emeritus of Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra, a highly selective youth orchestra he founded in 2013 and conducted for five seasons.

Mr. Pastor-Chermak earned degrees from UC Berkeley (B.A., with honors) and San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.M., with honors). Isaac and Alison live in a 105-year-old house in the Berkeley Hills with their cat, Waffle.