Omar Macias

Cello, Suzuki Cello

Omar Macias is a Twin Cities–based cellist, educator, and arts advocate whose work aims to bridge genres, cultures, communities, and generations. Equally at home on stage or in the classroom, Omar brings warmth, creativity, and a spirit of curiosity to everything he does — from classical and contemporary performance to the way he builds musical experiences with students.

As adjunct professor of cello at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, and a teaching artist with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Harmony program, Omar is dedicated to making music education fun, accessible, and deeply supportive. He believes in nurturing not just strong players, but confident, expressive human beings.

Omar regularly performs with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and continues to explore collaborative and cross-genre projects throughout the region. He approaches music with an open-minded philosophy, believing that all genres can inform and enrich one another — and that meaningful artistry often lives at the intersections.

He holds a Bachelor’s in Performance from St. Olaf College, a Master’s in Music from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota. His principal teachers include Peter Howard, Dr. David Carter, Ross Harbaugh, and Tanya Remenikova.