Steven Sharp Nelson

Steven Sharp Nelson (born 1977) is a pioneer in ?cello-percussion??an alternative performance method that combines traditional, lyrical cello techniques with unconventional pizzicato and percussive technique. He has studied the cello, (still his primary instrument) under Ryan Selberg, Stephen Emerson, and John Eckstein. Nelson also teams up often with pianist Paul Cardall and has written most of Cardall's orchestrations.

Nelson is well-known for his collaborations with pianist Jon Schmidt--most particularly in their mash-up arrangement of Taylor Swift's ?Love Story? and Cold Play's ?Viva La Vida,? a YouTube sensation. Schmidt and Nelson perform regularly together throughout the United States and the world.