The holidays are upon us! Here are five ideas to help you shop for the young cello students in your life. For additional ideas, check out our gift suggestions for adult cello students, cello teachers, and cello enthusiasts.

Here are five ideas to get you started.

Please be sure to check shipping times to your location and availability before ordering.

1. Items from our Museum Shop

Help your young student show their cello pride with a cello-themed gift from our online museum shop.

To help them stay hydrated while on the go, try one of our insulated half-liter (17 oz) water bottles:

For those who like a cozy snuggle, we have cello-patterned throw blankets in green, white, and blue.

Looking for cello-themed additions for your young cellist’s wardrobe? We’ve got long and short-sleeved T-shirt options. Here are a few:

We also have stickers for laptops, hard cello cases – or wherever stickers are allowed.

Purchases from our online shop help support the Cello Museum. Thank you!

2. Recordings

One of the best ways to inspire young musicians is having them listen to great performers. We’re focusing on recorded albums, but we encourage you to attend concerts online and offline (when possible) as well.

Most of us here at the Cello Museum grew up listening to and being inspired by Yo-Yo Ma. Now it’s time for the next generation to be inspired. Here is a fantastic collection of many of his albums at a very reasonable price.

We’re so happy this next album was released in time for the holidays. Brother and sister duo, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason are two of our favorite young superstars of the music world, and they are playing some of our favorite cello repertoire on this album: Muse.

We love The Piano Guys, and so do many of our students. This autumn, they released not one, but two new albums!

How about an album by another young cellist? Flair, the new album by cello prodigy Miriam K. Smith is an excellent choice.

Looking for something fun for everyone to enjoy? Try The Kanneh-Masons: Carnival of the Animals. This album was created by an incredibly talented family of musicians.

It comes in a deluxe version, too.

3. Sheet Music

Although you should always check with your cello teacher about level-appropriate sheet music, here is a great collection of Christmas songs and carols that can be played solo, with a second cello, or even other instruments (pro tip: order early — it can take a while to ship). I received this cello music as a gift from my cello teacher in elementary school, and it remains my favorite book of Christmas duets for the cello.

If your young cellist is more advanced, here is an excellent collection by the wonderful Sheku Kanneh-Mason:

Does your young cellist already have a copy of the Bach cello suites? With so many editions of the Bach cello suites, it can be difficult to choose one. We’ve got two options. Erica and I grew up with this one:

look inside

Six Suites for Solo Violoncello BWV 1007-1012 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by August Wenzinger. Stapled. Baroque. Cello solo book. With introductory text (German/English) and performance notes (German only). BWV 1007-1012. 70 pages. Baerenreiter Verlag #BA00320. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA00320).

Dr. Leonovich, our editions specialist, has created his own edition, based on the Kellner and Westphal manuscripts. It is fairly new – only three years old – but in addition to being meticulously researched, it is extremely easy to read and has well-planned page turns. You can purchase it here.

4. Cello Supplies

It’s difficult to choose exactly what a student needs without knowing him/her/them. When in doubt, ask your cello teacher. These are a few suggestions that we like.

Having a dedicated cello music bag is helpful to keep music and supplies together when not practicing. Our museum shop has a number of options, including the 15×15″ bags shown below, plus a larger, 16×20″ tote in the brown cello design.

We are firm believers in keeping lesson and practice notes. We’ve got cello-themed notebooks to help you keep organized.

Not all rosin is the same, and different rosins produce different effects. We each have our preferences, but one good option is Hill dark rosin.

Your young cellist — and perhaps you — might not remember rotary dial phones and the spring pen/pencil holders that you could attach to them. They work surprisingly well on music stands, but be sure to caution your student about resting their bow when using them.

5. Books

Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho, Illustrated by Teresa Martinez

This book, suggested for readers ages 4 to 8 years old, is a lovely picture book about Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach Project and his work to bring people together.

The Enchanted Cello Case by Hilary Wang, Illustrated by Julian Wang

This book for 6- to 11-year-old readers will delight adults as well. Read our review here.

Please note that 100% of the profits from the sale of The Enchanted Cello Case are donated to the International Rescue Committee if the book is purchased through this Lulu Press website.

Kittie Lambton – The Cellist’s Notebook

This novella is a charming story about the positive influence of music on a multi-generational family. It centers around ten-year-old Emily Peters and her love of a family cello and mysterious fragment of music. We don’t want to give you any spoilers, but we enjoyed this quick read. It makes a great stocking stuffer for a music-lover who also loves to read.

Dimitry Markevitch – Cello Story

This book was pivotal in my own journey with the cello. It inspired me to learn more about the cello’s history as well as its repertoire and performance.

Enjoy your holiday shopping!

Your Turn

What gift(s) did you choose? How were they received? Please tell us in the comments.

Please note that some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links cost you nothing extra, but they help support the Cello Museum by sharing a small percentage of the purchase with us.