For news and updates on Jacob Szekely's many projects and events - check in here, on insta, or at Jacobszekely.com Mr.
Jacob Szekely Bio
As a soloist, improviser, composer, educator, founder and inventor, Jacob Szekely has made a career of redefining the boundaries of cello playing and has been hailed by Strings Magazine as “One Of The Leaders In The Creative String Community.” Berklee cello professor and multiple Grammy winner Eugene Friesen has declared “The first time a cellist has made the case as a leader in
modern jazz!” for his pioneering technique and ability improvise in styles previously thought impossible on the instrument. Jacob's performances and recordings have been hailed by The Strad, Strings Magazine, International Musician, The LA Weekly and artists like Rush Bassist Geddy Lee as a “Quantum leap forward” in cello playing. In addition to his busy schedule as a soloist, Jacob is one of Los Angeles's most in-demand sidemen and has been a featured performer or solo cellist with such popular artists as Marry J Blige, Jay-Z, Ellie Goulding, Avril Lavigne and Rush to name a few. In 2007, Jacob expanded his role as musical ambassador through the co- founding and artistic directorship of String Project Los Angeles, the first and only school in America fully dedicated to creative string playing named by strings Magazine as “One of the top 10 reasons to study music in Los Angeles” and by Jazz violinist and Downbeat poll winner Christian Howes as “A model for all string teachers in America.” In addition to SPLA, Jacob has also conducted residencies and master classes across the United States at UCLA, Cal Arts, The Berklee School of Music, Oklahoma State University, Georgia State University, The University of Southern California, Ithaca College and The American String Teachers Association’s National Conference and The JEN Conference. is also the founder and artistic director of the annual Los Angeles Creative String Festival (now in its fifth year). Jacob has also served on the summer faculty of numerous festivals including The New Directions In Cello Festival and Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop with whom he co-authored an article in the July 2012 issue of The Strad advising string teachers on how to approach improvisation. In 2013, Jacob launched The Improvisor’s Guide To The Cello (IGC)… The first ever comprehensive video learning series designed to address the unique challenges classically trained cellists face when approaching creative string playing. Rather than rote teaching or repackaging basic theory, IGC represents a strikingly original approach creative cello playing. In August 2015, Jacob introduced The Improvisor’s Guide To The Cello Academy: the first ever online interactive online community for creative cellists. In August 2015 Szekely also created ThePickupTest.com for amplified string players featuring tutorials, tabletop reviews and the first ever comprehensive sound library of every pickup and microphone on the market for Violin, Viola, and Cello. Jacob lives in Los Angeles with his wife Diana.
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