Sybil Shanahan

Sybil Shanahan has played the cello for as long as she can remember. A contemporary performer comfortable across many musical styles, Sybil currently performs with Solidaridad Tango, the classically based Tadioli Duo, and she is the founder of Beaux Strings, an event music performance business for which she is also a published music arranger of several pop songs for string ensembles. A travel lover, Sybil’s lifelong commitment to the cello and the medium of chamber music has provided her with opportunities to perform around the world, including most recently debut performances in Buenos Aires and Brooklyn. Between 2010-2020, she performed and recorded extensively with Ensemble Vivant, “Canada’s chamber music treasure” (Toronto Star). Her first album, Caprice, was released in 2014 and features several previously unrecorded French Romantic cello duos with Coenraad Bloemendal. As a freelance performer, she has joined professional orchestras across the province for special projects. Rocking Horse Winner marks her Tapestry Opera debut.

A strong believer in the power of music to create community, Sybil manages a full private teaching studio for adult cellists based in Toronto, and she has been on faculty at Lake Field Music Camp since 2012. When not involved in musical pursuits, she can often be found on her paddle board, skis or bike or tending to her spoiled cats. Sybil completed her University education in Europe. She holds a Master’s Degree from the class of cello soloist Patrick Demenga in Switzerland and a Bachelor from the class of Gregor Horsch in Amsterdam.

Photo by Mathew Golem