 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| A freelance cellist and music educator, Maria performs & teaches in the beautiful Pacific NW. Recent projects include Tango Ahora!, Led to Sea, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Degenerate Art Ensemble and with local composers John Teske and Jherek Bischoff. Since moving to Seattle, Maria has played the Jazz Alley with Chris Standring, Benaroya Hall with Barcelona, and the Triple Door with Hauschka. In L.A., Maria backed up singers Cat Power, Jody Watley, Alissa Moreno and Beth Thornley, played jazz with Dream Street, avant-guarde/big band with Elvis Schoenberg's Orchestra Surreal, alternative rock with Andrew Paul Woodworth, christian rock with Zhender and electronica with George Sarah. Working with Tango Ahora! and Degenerate Art Ensemble has allowed Maria to improvise with dance again. From '03-09, Maria collaborated with Los Angeles troupes String Theory and Regina Klenjenski's Dance Company. She toured and performed at the Getty Museum, Long Beach Art Museum, Union Station (Chicago) and the Titanic House (Calgary). Maria has also toured with Broadway star Florence Henderson, (aka Mrs. Brady) in her show "All the Lives of Me." On the classical side of life, Maria has served as Principal Cello of the Long Beach Ballet Orchestra, The Texas Cello Choir, International Cello Choir, Bellevue Opera, and The University of Texas Symphony & Chamber Orchestras. Maria has recorded at Glenn Sound Studios with the Grammy-nominated artist Henta Ellis, London Bridge Studios for the Angel Band Project CD "Take You With Me," and with local musicians Karyn Michaelson and John Teske. In Los Angeles sessions, Maria has recorded for British rock band Fightstar at Matt Wallace's studio, and for film composers Robert Toteras, David Box, and George Shaw. The Wallace Foundation Grant funds her work with the Seattle Youth Symphony (SYSO-in-the-schools), coaching string players of all abilities in the Seattle Public Schools elementary, middle and high schools. She has also worked at Marrowstone Music Festival, coached string students with Maple Valley Youth Symphony and has given Teacher Workshops for the Seattle Music Partners. _______________________________________________________________________________ More Bio A nomadic musician, she started her professional career with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in 1998. After studying in Italy at the Operafestival di Roma that summer, she graduated from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Her main teacher was Dr. Pablo Mahave-Veglia. She transplanted to UT-Austin where she earned a Master of Music in Cello Performance (2003) and soloed with the University of Texas Chamber Orchestra. Maria studied cello and pedagogy with Professor Phyllis Young in Austin, and has assisted her at the International String Workshop (2004) in Graz, Austria and the National Cello Institute (2009) in Pomona, CA. In 1995, Maria joined American String Teachers Association (ASTA), and has since taught thousands of students through the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra-in-the-Schools Program, American Youth Symphony String Project, Education Through Music-LA, and The University of Texas at Austin String Project. In 2008-09 she served on the Board of Directors, as Secretary with the Greater-LA ASTA Section, and worked with Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes Public School teachers through the LA-ASTA Mentor Program. In 2009 she worked for Education Though Music-LA, in Chinatown, where Joshua Bell and his violin were guests in her classroom. _______________________________________________________________________________ Notable performances: 2010-2011 Triple Door with Hauschka Tractor Tavern with the Angel Band, raising awareness for the Voices and Faces Project See Seattle's City Arts Magazine Article here Benaroya Hall with Barcelona & NWSO for Mateo Messina and The Symphony Guild 2010 See photo stream of concert here Dimitrou's Jazz Alley with LA Jazz artist Chris Standring Pre-2010 Principal Cellist with Long Beach Ballet Orchestra Getty Museum, LA with String Theory Elevate Film Festival with Jody Watley at Nokia Theater Florence Henderson's show 'All the Lives of Me' at Catalina Jazz Club, Hollywood Orpheum Theater with Cat Power 'Titanic House' with String Theory in Calgary, CA Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Opening in LA Family Guy's 100th Episode Party with Seth MacFarlane Bulgari Event in Bel Air for the American Ballet Chicago's Union Station for a Bollywood Event with String Theory Orange County for the Performing Artist Re-opening with String Theory |
MARIA SCHERER WILSON CELLIST
photo by Jonathan Brown
photo by Maria Scherer Wilson
photo by Heidi Peters