| Meet the Musicians : Cello |
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John Eckstein
Acting Associate Principal
Cellist John Eckstein joined the Utah Symphony in June, 1990. Previously Associate Principal Cello of the New Orleans Symphony and Principal Cello of the Omaha
Symphony, he enjoys a varied musical life of orchestral, chamber, and solo playing, in addition to his teaching duties at the University of Utah.
After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Mr. Eckstein received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. He completed his Master of Music under the tutelage of famed cellist Raya Garbousova. Other teachers have included Steven Doane, Ralph Kishbaum, Ron Leonard, Richard Kapuschinski, and Dennis Brott.
Mr. Eckstein was a founding member of the Abramyan String Quartet. With the Abramyan he concertized extensively throughout the US as well as Japan on six occasions.
In 2004, he served as Principal Cellist with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand. In addition to his orchestral duties there, he was featured soloist on several occasions. Mr. Eckstein is also a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival and has appeared repeatedly on virtually every chamber music series in Utah.
When he isn't playing the cello, he can be found skiing, golfing, or playing with his two children Nina and Jamie. |
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Ryan Selberg
Principal Cello
The Kenneth A. and Jeraldine S. Randall Chair
Ryan Selberg, has been Principal Cello of the Utah Symphony since 1975. Originally from Los Angeles, he studied with Patricia Thomsen Pinkston and Joseph di Tullio, graduated from UCLA with a BA in Music Performance, spent two and a half seasons in Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, and worked as a freelance musician in Hollywood. Before coming to Utah, he spent three years as principal cellist of the Edmonton Symphony in Alberta, where he also taught and performed at Alberta College, the University of Alberta, and the Banff School of Fine Arts.
In addition to his duties as principal cellist of the Utah Symphony, Mr. Selberg is an active recitalist and chamber musician and has been featured soloist with the Utah Symphony. He spent fourteen years on the faculty of the University of Utah, and continues to teach privately. Since 1997, he has been artist-in-residence at the Black Glove Cello Festival in St. George.
Mr. Selberg and his wife have two sons, Erik and Scott. Beside the cello, other interests include golf, woodworking, photography, and fishing. |
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Meeka Quan-DiLorenzo Associate Principal Cello
Meeka Quan-Dilorenzo has been the Associate Principal cellist of the Utah Symphony since joining in 2003. She began her cello studies at the age of six in her native city of San Francisco, California with Suzuki teacher Beth Goldstein. Other teachers include Julie Feldman, Irene Sharp, Stephan Geber, and Richard Aaron.
Meeka has been a prize winner in several national and international competitions. At age 16 she made her orchestral debut with the Dvorak Cello concerto and The Pacific Symphony under the direction of Carl St. Clair. Other competition prizes include the ASTA competition of California, The Grace Vamos National Cello Competition, The Pacific Society of California Young Artist Competition and the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition. She was offered a scholarship to The Cleveland Institute of Music's Young Artist Program at the age of 15, where she finished her high school diploma, and then her Bachelor's degree in 2002. Her last year in Cleveland she performed the Shostakovitch Cello Concerto No. 1 with the CIM orchestra under the direction of Wilson Hermanto, Associate conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra. Recent concerto appearances include Haydn C major cello concerto with The Utah Symphony under the direction of Keith Lockhart.
As an avid chamber musician, she has participated in various summer festivals, performing with members of the Julliard and Cleveland Quartets. She has received invitations to Aspen, Ravinia, Taos, Kingston, Sun Valley, and Kneisel Hall music festivals. Meeka regularly performs on the Nova and Intermezzo chamber music series in Salt Lake City. This marks Quan-DiLorenzo's last season with the Utah Symphony, as she is on extended leave to begin work with The Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 2009.
Meeka lives in Sandy with her husband, Emmy award winning composer and trumpet soloist, Anthony DiLorenzo. They have one son, Luca. She plays a 1908 cello by Stefano Scarampella.
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Carolee Baron
Cello
Carolee Baron, cello, was born and raised in Salt Lake City and joined the Utah Symphony in 1968, the year she graduated from Highland High School. While a student she studied with Evelyn Loveless, David Freed, and Christian Tiemeyer, all former Symphony members.
Ms. Baron received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah. During summers she studied with Gabor Rejto at the Music Academy of the West, Lynn Harrell at the Blossom Festival, and in master classes with Andre Navarra in Sienna, Italy.
She has been married to Tom Baron, a violinist with the Symphony for thirty-one years. They have two sons: Andrew, twenty-eight, and Nick, twenty-five. Her favorite hobby is reading, with traveling a close second. |
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Walter Haman
Cello
Walter Haman was born and raised in Fresno, California where he began playing the cello at age 13. He studied with Irene Sharp at the San Francisco Conservatory, Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory and received fellowships to Tanglewood and the Aspen Music Festival where he worked with Lynn Harrell and David Finckel. In 1995 he won 1st Prize in the American String Teachers Association Solo Competition and in 1998 won the Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Competition as well as the Shenson Award. Since then he has performed extensively throughout North America and Europe, has been a guest cellist with Pink Martini, and has played with the San Francisco Symphony and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.
From 1997 to 2000 Mr. Haman participated in the Spoleto Festival, Italy, where he was Principal Cellist of the Festival Orchestra, a member of the Spoleto Festival String Quartet, and appeared as a soloist with the orchestra. He has also performed at the Crested Butte Music Festival and the 2002 Biennale di Venezia.
In 2000 Mr. Haman was an Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. During his residency he was introduced to the dancer and choreographer Jose Navas. The two formed the Haman/Navas Project and spent the next two years performing in most of the major cities of Europe, Canada, and the United States. Their repertoire included music by Zoltan Kodaly, Benjamin Britten and Alan Hovhaness. In 2003 filmmaker Laura Taler produced a documentary, “Perpetual Motion”, about the duo that has appeared on Bravo.
A frequent performer of new music, Mr. Haman has worked with many leading composers, including John Adams, William Bolcolm, Gian Carlo Menotti, Bernard Rands, Steven Rouse and Gunther Schuller. He has given world premieres of works by Tamar Deisendruck, Alan Fletcher, John Heiss, and John Zorn, and has recorded music by Peter Blanchette, Tamar Deisendruck, David Kechley, and John Zorn.
Mr. Haman joined the Utah Symphony in 2003 and in 2008 became Principal Cellist of Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival. He performs on a rare cello made by Tomaso Eberle, Naples, 1770. |
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Kevin Shumway
Cello
Kevin Shumway, cello, was born in New Jersey in 1969. When he was five years old, his family moved to Holladay, Utah, where he spent his youth. He played the cello in his elementary school program starting at age nine and began private lessons at age eleven. As a teenager, he studied with Stephen Emerson, assistant principal cellist of the Utah Symphony.
Mr. Shumway attended Northwestern University, studying cello performance with Hans Jensen and where he won Northwestern School of Music's concerto competition. At the National Repertory Orchestra's 1992 summer festival he was soloist with Joseph Silverstein as violin soloist and conductor. His final year of conservatory training took place at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Stephen Geber, principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Mr. Shumway joined the Utah Symphony in 1994. He is married to Emily Day-Shumway, a violinist. They have two sons, Avery and Quinn. His hobbies include playing with toy trucks, building Lego structures, and practicing after bedtime. |
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Pegsoon Whang
Cello
Pegsoon Whang, cello, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute and the Mannes College, where she graduated as "Most Outstanding Graduating Student.” She has performed with the Seoul Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Lawton Philharmonic, and the North Carolina School of the Arts Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, she concertized in France, Italy, Germany, and the US. She is a member of Quattro Amici and the Snake River Chamber Players in Colorado. Festival appearances have included the Grand Teton Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, the Roycroft Chamber Music Festival, and the Colorado Music Festival, where she was appointed principal cello. |
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