Gerald Fowkes

Gerald Fowkes is a 2001 graduate of Louisiana State University where he graduated summa cum laude in Cello Performance.  His former teachers and mentors include Dennis Parker, Loran Stephenson, Wesley Baldwin and Pamela Frame.  In addition, he has participated in master classes with cellists Gary Hoffman, Aldo Parisot, Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, and Paul Katz, amongst others.  A Northern Virginia native, Gerald is an alumnus of the American Youth Philharmonic and a past Virginia Emerson Scholar at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan.

Mr. Fowkes is a frequent chamber music collaborator and a past fellow at the Hot Springs Music Festival and the Park City International Music Festival. A former member of the Baton Rouge Symphony, Gerald performs frequently as a freelance cellist throughout the Baltimore/Washington metro area having performed with the Virginia, Fairfax, and McLean Orchestras amongst others.

Mr. Fowkes is currently Director of Orchestras at Fairfax High School, Music Director and Conductor of the McLean Youth Orchestra, and on the artist faculty as the orchestra director of the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute. He has had the distinct honor of guest conducting honor orchestras throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and is a frequent guest conductor at the annual JMU Spring String Thing. He maintains a private cello studio at his home where he resides with his wife and four children.