Cellos & Basses
Cremaine Booker Cremaine Booker, is a cellist who hails from Dallas, TX. He currently serves as principal cello for the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Booker most recently toured with the acclaimed Hip-Hop/Classical group Black Violin. He has performed extensively around the country in addition to being a studio cellist. He has made appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra, MTSU Symphony, the Sewanee Symphony, Roy "Futureman" Wooten's Black Mozart Ensemble, Nashville Concerto Orchestra. He has also played with the likes of Hans Zimmer, Michael McDonald, Sheryl Crow, Nelly, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Chris Stapleton, Kelly Clarkson, Jewel, Lindsay Stirling, Michael W. Smith, LeAnn Rhimes, Mike Hicks, and Chantae Cann.
Cremaine has performed masterclasses with teachers such as Natalia Koma, YeonJin Kim, Julia Tanner, Eric Kutz, Peter Sheppard, and Yo-Yo Ma. Cremaine completed his undergraduate studies under Dr. Christine Kim at the Middle Tennessee State University. His previous teachers include Xiao-Fan Zhang, Paul York, Natasha Farny, and Kirsten Cassel-Greer. Cremaine plays on a modern cello gifted to him by William H. and Judith Scheide. |
Maggie Chafee No Biography at this time.
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Philip Kettler J. Philip Kettler, a native of Bethesda, MD, is a solo, orchestral, chamber, and studio cellist based in Nashville, TN. An in-demand orchestral musician, Philip is a member of the Huntsville Symphony and regularly performs with the Jackson Symphony, Bryan Symphony, Gateway Chamber Orchestra, and Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green. In addition, Philip is a member of the Nashville Music Scoring Orchestra at Ocean Way Studios, where he works as a recording artist for the soundtracks of movies, TV shows, and video games. He has recorded for studios including Microsoft, Sony, EA Games, EMI, Netflix, FX, Bungie, and many more. Philip was a member of the 2016 National Repertory Orchestra and has been a performer at the summer music festivals of Aspen, Bowdoin, and Aix-en-Provence (France).
As a soloist, Philip made his professional recital debut in January 2016 as part of the Chevy Chase Concert Series in Washington, DC. He has been a top prize winner in the Washington Performing Arts Society Feder Memorial String Competition, US Army Orchestra Concerto Competition, Blair Concerto Competition, and Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition. Philip has performed in master classes for Johannes Moser, Alisa Weilerstein, Zuill Bailey, and Hans Jørgen Jensen. As a chamber musician, he has worked with members of the Vermeer, Brentano, Ying, Shanghai, and Blair Quartets; Lionsgate and Blakemore Trios; Berlin Philharmonic; London, Cleveland, Houston, Baltimore, Nashville, and National Symphonies; and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Philip received his Bachelor of Music degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in 2016, where he graduated cum laude and was the winner of the Blair Student Showcase Award. In 2014, he also completed studies in cello and baroque cello at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His principal teachers include Felix Wang, Dmitry Ferschtman, Peter Howard, and Drew Owen. In the fall of 2017, Philip will begin graduate studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Eric Kim. |
Blake Kitayama Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Blake Kitayama is the youngest of four musicians. A student at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, Blake has been playing cello for 17 years. Currently studying with Felix Wang at Blair, Blake has performed for Johannes Moser, David Ying and Emilio Colón. He has had the pleasure of performing with ensembles around the country such as the Texas Festival Orchestra and the Phoenix Ensemble. In addition to orchestral playing, Blake is an avid chamber music fan and likes to swim.
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Anthony Lu Anthony Lu, a freelance cellist based in Memphis, TN, began playing the cello at age five and played in his first orchestra at eight years old. His early training began in the Suzuki Strings Program under Phyllis Long, followed by tutelage under the late University of Memphis Professor of Cello Peter Spurbeck. Mr. Lu received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Cello Performance from the University of Memphis while studying under Leonardo Altino. Since the fall of 2011, Mr. Lu began playing regularly with The Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the Germantown (TN) Symphony Orchestra and the Starkville (MS) Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his involvement with orchestral groups, Mr. Lu teaches cello privately, with his students varying in age and levels of experience.
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Jonathan Neal Jonathan Neal is a freelance cellist/bass guitarist. He was born in Oak Ridge, TN, and raised in Memphis. The product of Phyllis Long and Jeffrey Lastrapes, Jonathan has performed with groups such as the Irish rockband The Ghettis, thhe Delta Symphony Orchestra in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the Lubbock Symphony, the Lubbock Chorale, the Texas Tech University Orchestra, the Texas Tech Tango Camarata, and the Abilene Christian University Orchestra. Jonathan has also performed in pit orchestras for Aida, Annie Get Your Gun, Carousel, Cose fan Tutte, Jane Eyre, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little Shop of Horrors, and Secret Garden. He is now entering is fourth season with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra.
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Patrick Rush Patrick Rush began playing with the Jackson Symphony in the Fall of 2015 while he was living in Nashville, TN. After studying music at the Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology in Petersburg, VA, Patrick went on to receive a degree in Religion while exploring folk and improvisational styles of music.
After college, Patrick moved to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in music as well as a career in specialty coffee. After five wonderful years in Nashville, Patrick enjoyed some time away performing on a cruise ship and traveling around the Southern Hemisphere. Patrick recently relocated to Richmond, VA with two of his closest friends where he continues to work in the coffee and music communities. |
Carrington Truehart Carrington Truehart holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from the University of Memphis and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Music in cello performance. Carrington has performed in masterclasses for David Finckel, Joshua Roman, Joel Krosnick and the Jeruselum Quartet. He frequently plays with the Tupelo Symphony, Memphis Repertory Orchestra, Memphis Sinfonietta and the Balmoral Community Orchestra. Teachers include Dr. Kimberly Patterson and Leo Altino.
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Marcus Hurt Marcus Alexander Hurt was born in Memphis TN to Charles & Rosalyn Hurt. With his parents being instrumentalists and vocalists, he was often granted the opportunity to travel and study sounds that were unfamiliar to him, whether it was the sound of beating on pots and pans, or listening to the New York Philharmonic perform Carmina Burana on a school trip. He was always seemed to be interested in the performing arts. Marcus started in piano lessons at a very young age however, started to study string instruments when he entered the third grade. After finally beginning to take the art of string playing seriously, he began to audition for more
ensembles around the TN and NY area; in the midst of the traveling that he was doing with ensembles that he was already a part of. Marcus has struggled throughout his lifetime with being accepted as an African American bassist in an orchestral setting. In 2005, Marcus began performing on international tours. During these trips, he became more confident in the art of classical Double Bass Playing and accepting himself as an African American ARTIST. This led him to audition for the National Youth Festival Orchestra position in NYC (2007) under the baton of Benjamin Zander at Carnegie Hall, in which he was successful (Co-Principal). The piece being performed was Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. This performance was aired nationwide and was also attended by some of the classical legends including Itzhak Perlman and Kathleen Battle. Marcus has also represented several orchestras on television airings, state concerto competitions, and album recordings. Since then, Marcus has performed with over 24 professional orchestras nationwide, played on several soundtracks, and has toured on national soundtrack tours with Disney & Nintendo. “People tell you often that the sky is the limit. I am one who finally understands that statement and can honestly challenge it by saying that the sky is NEVER the limit. There is so much more left to discover, if you are willing to work for it.” Marcus is a 2012 graduate from the University Of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School Of Music with a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Music Education. Currently, he is the principal Double Bassist for the Jackson Symphony and Double Bassist for Orchestra Noir in Atlanta GA. Along with being a classical musician, Marcus has accepted the title of being a “Recording Artist” and has just released his debut EP as a vocalist, entitled "Friction". His music has been licensed for two upcoming films set to release in 2017 & 2018. |
Mark Huff Mark Huff was born in Ohio and has his Bachelors in Music from Miami University of Ohio, a Masters Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctorate from the University of Alabama.
Dr. Huff is a member of the Huntsville Symphony and teaches bass at the University of Alabama Huntsville, University of North Alabama, Florence, and at Huntsville Strings where he also teaches violin. Dr. Huff also performs with the Moondust Big Band and has several compositions including his Christmas duet series. |
John Ownby No biography at this time.
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Joel Schnackel No biography at this time.
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