Biography
Cassandra (Cassie) May is pursuing a dual degree in Systems Design and Violin Performance at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where she studies with William van der Sloot and David McCarroll. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she began her violin studies with Patricia Burnham and David Chernyavsky. Cassie has earned top prizes in the GSYO Concerto Competition, Junior Bach Festival, Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and Peninsula Symphony Young Musicians Competition, as well as international recognition from the KAMSA and ENKOR competitions. She is also a recipient of the Pittsburgh Female College Association Award.
Orchestrally, Cassie has served as concertmaster of the Golden State Youth Orchestra, assistant concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and second principal violinist of the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. As a chamber musician, she studied in Susan Bates’ Young Chamber Musicians Program under Eric Chin and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute under Peter Zazofsky.
Cassie has attended leading festivals such as the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and she studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg in 2025 under Igor Petrushevski. Beyond performance, Cassie is dedicated to community engagement, volunteering for organizations such as the Tahirih Justice Center and Musicians with a Mission. She also actively premieres and records works by student composers at CMU.
Orchestrally, Cassie has served as concertmaster of the Golden State Youth Orchestra, assistant concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and second principal violinist of the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. As a chamber musician, she studied in Susan Bates’ Young Chamber Musicians Program under Eric Chin and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute under Peter Zazofsky.
Cassie has attended leading festivals such as the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and she studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg in 2025 under Igor Petrushevski. Beyond performance, Cassie is dedicated to community engagement, volunteering for organizations such as the Tahirih Justice Center and Musicians with a Mission. She also actively premieres and records works by student composers at CMU.
