Against All Odds: An SFCM Violinist’s Miraculous Journey
Abandoned at a bus stop as a baby, one woman’s incredible story of perseverance from China to Alaska to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Rose Crelli at The Bowes Center — Photo Credit: Mia Perrotta
By Corbin Henderson
Turbulent Beginnings
Rose Crelli did not have a typical childhood. In Hollywood fashion, her story begins as a newborn, abandoned in a basket at a bus station in China. New to the world—and completely alone—Crelli was taken to an orphanage where she spent the next eight months. She was then adopted by her new parents from Alaska. Of her beginning, Crelli knows very little, “That's all I've been told. That's all I know about it,” she said.
Paired through an adoption agency, Crelli’s father flew to China to pick her up, and her parents gave her a new home in the Alaskan wilderness. There was no running water or electricity—let alone internet or television.
"I grew up mushing dog teams and snowshoeing,” Crelli said of her childhood, “I didn’t have video games or computer games. That put me in an environment where I had to entertain myself a lot. My brother and I read books, we wrote creative stories, and I loved to draw.” It also wasn’t long before music entered her life.
Music and a Mother’s Love
Crelli’s adopted family was a musical one, and she was immediately drawn to the violin. Her mother is a singer and pianist, and Crelli’s older brother is also a musician. Her brother’s violin playing became an inspiration to the budding violinist, “I heard him practicing, and I wanted to be just like him,” Crelli said. Years before she was old enough to have a violin in her hands, she found a way to play, “I had two little sticks that I found in the forest on the ground, and I used to hold them up and pretend that they were my violin and bow.”
She began playing seriously at the age of eight and Crelli’s mother frequently drove 6-8 hours to find a violin teacher in the nearest town, determined not to let their location in Dawson City (population 1100) interfere with her children’s musical studies. As Crelli grew, and her talent grew with it, the family made longer treks to Fairbanks, Alaska to study with more prestigious teachers.
When travel was not possible, Crelli had her lessons by telephone. “My mom would hold the phone up to my violin while I was playing so the teacher could hear it. And then when I was done playing, she would hold it up to my ears so I could hear the teacher’s feedback.”
In high school, the Crelli family relocated to Fairbanks permanently to give the young violinist consistent, weekly lessons. Crelli credits her mother for her success in playing the violin. “My parents are the biggest influence in my life.”
Charting a Path Forward
After an amazing journey of adoption, and a unique and musical childhood, Crelli’s talent is only continuing to grow. Today she is a Performance Studies Diploma student at SFCM, studying under Simon James.
Crelli has found her identity as a musician and a human being. In regards to her inspiring story of China to Alaska to unlocking amazing talent, Crelli wants her legacy to be one of building a safe space for all types of people from any background.
"I hope my legacy will be making people feel seen and heard and valued. And I want people to be inspired to embrace their most authentic selves. So I hope that throughout my life, I stay true to myself. And by staying true to myself, I signal to other people that this is a safe space to be who you are.”
Already a successful teacher in San Francisco, with a private studio of 18 students, Crelli plans to take orchestral auditions after graduating this spring. Her passion for teaching has taken the pressure off of the audition process. “I really love teaching,” Crelli says, “Realizing that I don't want my career to be just orchestra has taken a lot of the stress and anxiety away. I know, either way, it's going to be okay.”
