Cherylonda Fitzgerald
Principal Cellist
Current home?
Johnson City, TN
Best thing about playing in the JCSO?
The musicians are friendly and supportive. We have the best cello section in the world!
At what age did you start playing?
I started piano at age 6 but did not stick with it (my piano teacher would fall asleep at my lessons)! I started cello at the age of 11 in the public schools.
I started private lessons the next year. and continued in music, eventually earning a BA in Music Education from the University of Louisville and a Masters in Performance from Stony Brook University.
Interesting fact about yourself?
I was a Digital Print Production Artist in San Francisco, CA for 17 years before moving to Johnson City and returning to music full-time. I am owned by seven cats.
Interesting fact about your instrument?
My cello’s name is Cecilia and she was born close by in Knoxville,TN in 2006. Her maker is Kelvin Scott. I love her!
What else do you do?
I play in the Asheville Symphony and the Symphony of the Mountains. I am a found ing member of The Paramount Chamber Players which has been bringing chamber music to local communities since 2004. I teach at my home studio (The Cello Underground) and at Milligan University, and I freelance on my own and with Signature Strings.
Any hobbies?
Most of my “spare” time is spent with Cecilia! I love hiking and have completed the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, GA to Hampton, TN. I am a whitewater kayaker, but I don’t have as much time for it lately. I have kayaked down the Grand Canyon and on rivers in New Zealand, Costa Rica and Mexico. I also enjoy cycling and have completed a few centuries.
What triggered your desire to become a musician?
I chose the cello because it looked like the easiest instrument being played by the string quartet recruiting for my middle school orchestra! That may have been true for the Mozart they were playing at the time, but I soon found out the truth! But, by that time I had fallen in love with the sound of the cello and had embraced the challenges!
Message for the patrons of the JCSO?
We love you as much as you love us and we appreciate your enthusiastic support! We will always work hard to do our best to deliver the highest quality music we are capable of! Thank you all!