Hailed by Piedmont Post Music Critic Joseph Gold as “young in years, but that belies the level of her artistry,” 17-year-old cellist Melissa Lam began her cello studies at age eight with Sergei Riabtchenko. She has additionally worked with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Bonnie Hampton.

Melissa recently premiered several works alongside renowned cellist Gautier Capuçon in concert at Davies Symphony Hall. She also performed a cello sonata recital with pianist Eric Tran, and presented acclaimed solo recitals at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in 2023 and 2024.

An accomplished competitor, Melissa is the grand prize winner of the 2025 Antonín Dvořák Competition and has earned first prizes in the 2025 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, 2024 American Virtuoso Competition, 2023 US Open Music Competition, 2022 International “The Muse” Competition, and the 2022 International JSFest Music Competition. She won third place in the inaugural 2025 Atlanta Festival Academy Young Artist Competition and was recently named a winner of the 2026 YoungArts Competition. She currently serves as the principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Outside of music, Melissa enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing with her cats, and reading classic novels.