Crystal Pascucci, founder and cellist of Quartetto Vivo, specializes in chamber music and free improvisation. In 2007, she founded the Empire String Quartet, which studied with the renowned St. Lawrence String Quartet at Stanford University, and performed at the Lyricafest and Wintergreen festivals. With over five years of free improvisation instruction under David Rudge and Robert Black, Crystal has performed and recorded with numerous improvisation groups, which has included aleatoric music and film scores. Crystal received her Graduate Professional Degree in cello performance from the Hartt School of Music under Mihai Tetel, and her B.M. from SUNY Fredonia under Natasha Farny. She has also studied at NYU with Marion Feldman, and has played in many master classes for artists such as Marcy Rosen, Peter Oundjian and Clive Greensmith.