Since
his appointment to the University of New Mexico faculty in 1999, Dr.
David Schepps has quickly become prominent in New Mexico's rich musical
life. He was engaged by the world-renowned Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, the unique
20th Century Unlimited chamber series, and as principal cellist of the
Santa Fe Symphony and Santa Fe Concert Association Orchestras. In Albuquerque
he won positions in the New Mexico Symphony and as principal of the
Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque. His solo work has included concerti
with the Santa Fe Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, and UNM
Orchestra, 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. He has also been an orchestral and chamber player
in the prestigious Grand Teton Music Festival of Jackson, Wyoming since
1992.
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 was soloist with orchestras
of Calgary, Wichita, Fayetteville and Veracruz, and several regional,
university, youth and community orchestras throughout the US. He can
be heard on several CD's including a jazz influenced work by David Baker
(of Indiana University) for cello solo and percussion ensemble, and
in concerts from the Grand Teton Festival and Wichita State University.
Before coming to New Mexico, Schepps was cello professor at Wichita
State University, in their resident Fairmount String Quartet, and principal
of the Wichita Symphony. Prior to that, he was on the faculty of the
University of Louisiana, in their faculty piano trio, and principal
of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He was heard regularly on public radio
in Kansas and Louisiana. His orchestral background also includes the
famous 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 and 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.
