E37 - The Right Notes: My Professional Cello Journey (So Sugiyama)

The Fuqua Show

So Sugiyama (Class of 2025) hated cello as a kid and wanted to quit. But he stuck with it and worked his way to becoming a professional cellist, performing at places like the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark and the Manhattan School of Music. It's an inspiring story, one that involved leaving college to study with an 87-year-old cello master, working as a Starbucks barista and bartender to make ends meet, and meeting his wife through music. In this episode, So shares why he embarked on this journey, the life lessons he learned, and after all this, how he ended up in business school.
Listen to the whole episode for a beautiful story and even more beautiful music.
Note: This is a student-run production. The opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own and do not reflect the official view of Duke University, the Fuqua School of Business, or any organizations mentioned.