Episode 238: Cellist and composer Larissa Maestro enjoys a rich and diverse career as a Nashville session and stage musician. When she came to town in 2007, she had a music degree and flexible expectations about what she'd find in a place she'd never been. Now she's a veteran of creative collaborations with Margo Price, John Legend, Brandi Carlile and Allison Russell, who's just had Maestro arrange the strings for her next album. In 2022, she was named Americana Instrumentalist of the Year. Maestro is also a formal composer with numerous Nashville performances, including a night of her own music in March 2023. We talk about finding the cello, working with friends in the Nashville community, and composing for the ballet and the stage.