About Mr. VelseyA native of Washington, D.C., Jonathan Velsey began cello studies at age ten at the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program and later at the Levine School of Music. He received a B.A. from Bard College, and an M.Mus. in Performance from Northwestern University. His principal teachers include Judith Shiffers, Luis Garcia Renart and Hans Jørgen Jensen. He has also studied with Carla Rosenberg, Andre Emelianoff, Gary Stucka, Glenn Garlick, John Whitfield and David Hardy.
Mr. Velsey has taken Suzuki Level 2 training and attended string teaching workshops at the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University, in addition to post-graduate studies in Education at the University of Virginia. In addition to over 20 years of studio teaching, Mr. Velsey taught middle school orchestra in Arlington County, Virginia from 2004 to 2017 and is on the cello faculty at Levine Music. |
A former associate principal cellist of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Velsey has played with most of the capital region’s orchestras, including the Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax Symphonies. From 1993 to 1995, he was a member of the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban, South Africa, also performing in critically acclaimed solo and chamber recitals, and participating in the orchestra’s first educational outreach initiatives in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Mr. Velsey continues to be an active freelance cellist in the Washington area and a member of the Takoma Ensemble. He lives in Takoma Park, Maryland with his family.