Leo Eguchi, Cello

Cellist Leo Eguchi enjoys a very active and multi-faceted performance schedule. In addition to Camerata New England, he can be heard as a founding member of the Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, principal cellist of the New Bedford Symphony, a member of the Portland Symphony, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, as well as in frequent appearances with the Boston Pops Esplanade, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Boston Lyric Opera Orchestras. A strong advocate of new music, Eguchi has premiered pieces by and worked closely with many notable composers, including William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, George Crumb, Lukas Foss, Joan Tower, Ken Ueno, and Michael Daugherty, and often performs with contemporary music groups such as Xanthos Ensemble, Brave New Works, Firebird Ensemble, White Rabbit Ensemble, and ALEA III.  Steve Smith of the The New York Times recently raved about a concert featuring Leo Eguchi, "… in the hands of musicians so copiously skilled and confident, this undeniably challenging music had genuine appeal." 

Eguchi also loves to play chamber music: he was a founding member of the Lunaire String Quartet and often performs with groups such as Chameleon Arts Ensemble and the Walden Chamber Players. Other recent chamber music highlights include performances with Ron Patterson (former concertmaster of Monte-Carlo, Houston symphonies, as well as Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) and Malcolm Stewart (concertmaster, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, leader laureate of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra), and participation in the Educational Bridge program, an exchange tour of Moscow, and collaboration with Russian musicians. Eguchi can also be heard on stages ranging from intimate klezmer ensembles to stadium rock shows.

A native of Michigan, Leo Eguchi began his cello studies at the age of 12 with Eva Ell and Louis Potter Jr.  He holds bachelor’s degrees with honors in physics and in cello performance from the University of Michigan, where he studied cello with Anthony Elliott, and a master’s degree from Boston University, where he was a student of George Neikrug and recipient of the string department award for excellence. Eguchi has performed in master classes for such cello giants as Janos Starker, David Soyer, Ronald Leonard, and Leslie Parnas.