Hillary is a 16-year-old cellist. She is a Junior at South Garner High School class of 2025. She began cello in 2012 with Kidznotes. After Kidznotes was no longer available in Raleigh, in 2021, she continued her musical training with the Raleigh Music Collective (RMC). She currently takes private lessons through RMC with Paige Capes and Matt Holt. In addition to operating as section leader for weekly RMC classes, she also plays cello in one of their two Quartets in Residence. She participated in the Duke Initiative for Theology and the Arts (DITA) 2022 Conference Concert with the New Caritas orchestra playing alongside musicians from the Boston Symphony, and Chicago Symphony to name a few. Outside of RMC, she made it into Wake County’s Advanced Youth Orchestra and the NC Eastern Regionals her sophomore year. In 2021 she received an auditioned spot with the North Carolina Chamber Music Institution (NCCMI). With NCCMI, her quartet was a 3rd place winner of the International Great Composer’s Competition, Best Mendelssohn Performance. She also is a 2023 NC Governor School Alumni. She currently is preparing for Eastern Regional Orchestra auditions and YOLA Summer Festival while taking professional gig training with RMC and preparing to audition to further her education in music in college.
