Assistant Principal Cello
Cellist Ethan Blake has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as an avid orchestral and chamber musician. He is a former member of the Alabama Symphony, as well as the Boulder Philharmonic as Assistant Principal Cello. He has additionally performed with the Rochester Philharmonic and Colorado Symphony, along with appearances as principal cello with the Fort Collins Symphony and Greeley Philharmonic. Ethan is the winner of awards such as the Eastman Cello Concerto Competition, the University of Colorado Honors Competition, and the T. Gordon Parks Concerto Competition.
As a soloist, Ethan has appeared with the West Texas Symphony, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, and the Pikes Peak Philharmonic, among others. He has received fellowships to perform at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. He’s also performed at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Taipei Music Academy and Festival, and Festival Mozaic, where he was a fellow in their inaugural Young Artists Program. As a teacher, he has served on faculties of the ROCmusic Collaborative, El Sistema Colorado, Eastman Community Music School, and the Parlando School of the Arts in Boulder, where he was an instructor for their School Outreach program. This year, Ethan begins teaching at Buffalo String Works, in partnership with the BPO.
Ethan recently received a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music and previously received a Bachelor of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder. His past mentors include David Ying, Alice Yoo, David Requiro, Matthew Zalkind, and Annemarie Dawson. Outside of playing music, Ethan enjoys cooking, playing basketball, and exploring the outdoors.