DAVID SCHEPPS
Since his appointment to the University of New Mexico (UNM) faculty in 1999, Dr. David Schepps has quickly become prominent in New Mexico’s rich musical life. He was engaged by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, the 20th Century Unlimited chamber series, New Mexico Symphony, and as principal cellist of the Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Fe Concert Association Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque.
His solo work has included concerti with several of these orchestras, recitals at UNM, and broadcasts for KHFM Albuquerque. As a chamber musician he performs regularly with the Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, Placitas and Socorro Artist Series, UNM faculty series, and was featured in the Los Alamos Arts Council Chamber Series and Taos Chamber Music Group.
Outside of New Mexico Schepps has also been an orchestral and chamber player in the Grand Teton Music Festival of Jackson, Wyoming since 1992, joined the internationally acclaimed American Sinfonietta Chamber Orchestra as assistant principal for their European tour, and in their summer festival in Bellingham, Washington. Schepps has been featured as soloist and chamber musician on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” national broadcasts, at New York’s Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Phillips Collection in Washington DC (twice; as soloist and quartet player), and on Washington radio. He has won several competitions and soloed with many regional, university, youth and community orchestras throughout the US. He can be heard on CD’s including a jazz influenced work for cello solo and percussion ensemble by David Baker of Indiana University, and in concerts from the Grand Teton Festival and his university residencies.
From 1988-99 Schepps was cello professor at Wichita State University, in their resident Fairmount String Quartet, and principal of the Wichita Symphony. Prior to that, he taught and was faculty piano trio cellist at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and principal of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He was heard regularly on public radio in Kansas and Louisiana. His orchestral background includes the L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande of Geneva, Switzerland, Kansas City Symphony, Phoenix Symphony (assistant principal), Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz in Mexico, and principal of the Arizona Opera Wagner Ring Cycles and principal and chamber musician of the Flagstaff Festival of the Arts.
A Fulbright/ITT student of legendary cellist Pierre Fournier in Geneva, Schepps studied at the Manhattan and Mannes schools in New York and holds a doctorate from Arizona State University. His cello teachers include Claus Adam (Juilliard Quartet), Timothy Eddy (Orion Quartet), Takayori Atsumi (Arizona State University), Thomas Liberti (NY Philharmonic) and Harvey Shapiro (Juilliard School). He also studied at the Banff Centre, Yale Summer School, Bach Aria Festival, and had master classes with Starker, Harrell, Nelsova and Parisot.
Schepps has been a university professor since 1985, and his cello students and student ensembles have won numerous competitions, scholarships, and jobs throughout the world. He has sponsored several cello festivals, hosting international soloists, and involving hundreds of cellists of all ages and levels.
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