Cello, Music
A Virtu Foundation scholar, Mr. Gjoni was a visiting cello faculty at The Boston Conservatory (2011-2014), where his “Cello Physics” master class was enthusiastically received by a sold-out audience. He has been invited to teach and perform at Vianden International Music Festival, (Luxembourg), Saarburg International Music Festival (Germany), University of Northern Colorado, University of Denver, and the University of Arts in Tirana, (Albania). Mr. Gjoni served as teaching assistant at the Juilliard School and Assistant Director of Young Artist Program at the Cactus Pear Music Festival. Mr. Gjoni joined the cello section of the San Antonio Symphony in September 2015 and is a Lecturer in Cello Performance at the University of Texas in San Antonio as well as Adjunct Professor of Cello, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Series at St. Mary’s University.
Holgen Gjoni holds degrees from New England Conservatory, the Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory and National University of Music in Bucharest, having studied with Paul Katz (cellist of the Cleveland String Quartet), Bonnie Hampton (disciple of Pablo Casals and Zara Nelsova), Andrew Mark and Marin Cazacu. He was selected to play in masterclasses for Yo-Yo Ma, Janos Starker, Natalia Gutman, Franz Helmerson, Radu Aldulescu and has extensively worked with chamber music experts such as Joel Smirnoff, Samuel Rhodes and Joel Krosnick of the Juilliard String Quartet, Donald Weilerstein and Martha Katz of the Cleveland String Quartet, Michael Tree of the Guarneri String Quartet, Norman Fisher and Mark Sokol of the Concord String Quartet and Pamela Frank, to name a few.