When sophomore Caitlin Schmidt plays her cello, she is overwhelmed by the beauty of the music.

“It makes me so happy,” she said. “There’s just something about it that I can’t stand not having in my life. I’m hoping that as I progress musically, I can find out what it is that draws me to it.”

Both of Schmidt’s older brothers played violin. When it came time for her to choose an instrument, she told her mother: “I’m not playing the violin. I’m not playing what they play.”

So she chose the cello, yearning to be different from her brothers.

For 10 years, Schmidt has practiced and performed on a path leading her to the Wichita State Symphony Orchestra.

Schmidt came to WSU because of her teacher, Jakob Omsky, assistant professor of cello and principle cellist for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.

“He’s really cared for me as a musician and as a person,” she said.

Support from her family and friends and inspiration from other cellists have given Schmidt the drive to continue to play.

At a prestigious music festival in New York, renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz was her teacher. Known as a musical pioneer, Haimovitz has arranged Led Zeppelin songs for cello ensembles.

“He opened me up to the possibilities of music,” she said. “I hope I get to a high enough skill level someday to be able to do that.”

Schmidt was able to take those possibilities to Spain where the WSU Symphony Orchestra performed three concerts in May.

“Europe and music in one trip, what a great cultural and musical opportunity,” she said.

From her trip, Schmidt has decided that she wants to travel as much as possible and learn at least one other language.

“Life is full of different cultures and I think music is a sort of bridge between these cultures,” she said. “However, to gain full appreciation, I believe that one should learn as much as possible about other cultures individually, which would require learning the language.”

In Spain, her group experienced El Prado Museum in Madrid, visited Toledo and went sight-seeing.

In addition to performing in Spain, Schmidt participated in the Wichita Youth Symphony Talent Day where she won second place.

That granted her the opportunity to solo with one of the youth symphonies. She played the first movement of Eduardo Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor. She has also been a part of several orchestra and chamber performances.

The Fairmount Trio’s recital last fall impressed and inspired Schmidt.

“I’m also always inspired by the Chamber Music at the Barn series that the Fairmount String Quartet often plays for,” she said.

Schmidt hopes to make a career in chamber music playing in a small group rather than a large orchestra.

“I’d really enjoy a professional chamber music career, preferably in Europe somewhere, like Austria or Germany,” she said.

However, one of her dream positions would be in the Berlin Philharmonic. “Each musician in that orchestra is of extremely high musical caliber,” she said.

Schmidt has just completed her first year at WSU and is already planning for her master’s degree.

She hopes to attend a conservatory or school in a bigger city such as Boston or New York.

“I’d like a very diverse crowd with access to lots of quality performers and teachers,” she said.