The Cello Who
Loved Me

An accidental pilgrimage to master the world's most beautiful instrument

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A surprise recital while walking the Camino de Santiago turns into another kind of pilgrimage: to learn to play the cello.

George, 71, is nearing completion of this ancient route across Spain when he attends a lecture and cello performance. He becomes enthralled with the beauty, versatility, and warmth of this wonderful instrument.

There is only one thing to do: learn to play the cello.

Praise for The Cello Who Loved Me

“After traveling the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a 71-year-old man from Oregon hears a Spanish cellist and feels an overwhelming attraction to the instrument. Back home George Sorensen begins a quest to learn the cello and everything about it...The tone is genial and humorous. Sorensen writes as he speaks, and goes off on a tangent many times, just as if he was telling you his story over a glass of ale.”

Janet Banks, The Strad Magazine – July 2026 Issue

“Blending high and low notes from his life, George presents his harmonious story as ‘a seasoned, but nonetheless spunky, adult beginner’ starting cello lessons at 71. His musical journey proves that there’s no age limit on learning—and that having bad teachers in the past shouldn’t prevent you from pursuing your passion now.”

— J. Nollet

“This book hooked me from the start. The author shared his experience on the Camino de Santiago and his final days on the trail, where his passion was ignited. A final dinner was followed by a lecture and a performance by a professional cellist. During that performance by this cello master, the author found love in the cello's voice.

The voice of the cello spoke to the author, and he set out on another pilgrimage—a quest for knowledge and mastery of the strings. From then on, the author leads the reader on his journey of discovery and passion. He reveals the roots of his joy in the cello’s beautiful construction, its components, and the history of its development.

This is a wonderful read for any student of the cello. It is full of history, humor, and the intricacies of the instrument. I recommend it heartily.”

— David Normand, essayist, poet, and blogger

“George’s new book is a phantasmagoria of a fantastic sequence of ever-changing opportunities and dreams come true. He began playing the cello while others his age were napping quietly in a comfortable chair.”

— Mary Ann Coggins Kaza, music teacher and professional violinist for over 50 years

“After hearing a virtuoso during a pilgrimage in Spain, Sorensen was hooked on learning the cello, an instrument he’d never touched before. What follows is a journey toward enlightenment that led from a surprisingly expert teacher in the music store adjoining a Costa Rican restaurant down the street, to various luthiers, cellists, and other professionals, and an ultimate and lofty goal of playing ‘Here Comes the Sun’ on a Stradivarius. Whether it was too lofty didn’t matter, because along the way he discovered that ‘playing became more like spending time with an old friend, rather than being trapped in a bad conversation I wanted to escape,’ and a new way of seeing life.

Told with equal parts exuberance, reflection, and humor, Sorensen takes us along with him on his pilgrimage to learn the cello and explore his musical roots. More than this, his is a story of inspiration we could all use to pursue our own passions.”

— Jason Kilgore, author of Dragon of the Federation and creator of The Strange Worlds of Jason Kilgore