Ariana Nelson

Ariana Nelson, cellist of the Carpe Diem String Quartet, is an avid proponent of new music, and loves experimenting with improvisation and folk music.

She co-founded the Pacific Crest Trio in 2020, diving into multiple genres and prioritizing audience engagement. She has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center and with the Silk Road Ensemble at Tanglewood. Ariana grew up in Seattle playing string quartets, inspired by her grandfather Alan Iglitzin, the founding violist of the Philadelphia String Quartet, and her mother Karen, who also played in the quartet. She is artist faculty at the Charles Ives Music Festival in Danbury, CT, and has performed at Grand Teton Music Festival, Spoleto USA, Tanglewood, Aspen, Domaine Forget, Olympic Music Festival, and others. Ariana received her MM degree at the Juilliard School in 2017 where she studied with Darrett Adkins. She completed her BM degree cum laude at Rice University under Norman Fischer in 2015.