Story by Greg Trotter; photo by Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune

A Northwestern University student and his half-million-dollar cello are headed to Russia next month to compete in the International Tchaikovsky Competition, an elite contest that can launch careers.

Brannon Cho, a sophomore, is one of three Americans among the 51 cellists invited to compete. His parents sold their house, in part to help pay for his cello — an example of the kind of support Cho credits for making it this far.

If not a pinnacle, the contest represents at least a lofty ridge line in the musical journey of the young New Jersey man and a testament to his relationship with longtime teacher Hans Jorgen Jensen, a professor at Northwestern's Bienen School of Music.

Read the full story and see a video feature on the Chicago Tribune website