B i o g r a p h y
A classically trained and versatile cellist, Elaine Whitmire adores traditional cello repertoire and enjoys performing as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Additionally, she avidly explores many various styles and forms of musical expression and frequently performs fiddle, jazz, and international folk music. She also plays ukulele, piano, and the Chinese erhu.
Currently, Elaine is teaching cello in the Plano Independent School District. She is a member of the Richardson Symphony and Waco Symphony and substitute cellist for the Dallas Symphony. She will complete her Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance in December 2024.
Elaine holds a Performer's Diploma from Southern Methodist University, where she studied with Christopher Adkins, principal cellist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. During her time at SMU, Elaine was a member of the SYZYGY New Music Ensemble and the Meadows World Music Ensemble, with which she performed cello, erhu, and the occasional shekere.
Elaine studied with Eugene Osadchy at the University of North Texas and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance and a minor in Business. She was a member of the UNT Symphony Orchestra, a three time TMEA All-State Musician, and toured China with the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra as cellist and pianist. Elaine also holds a Master of Music Degree from Wichita State University, where she studied with Leonid Shukaev, cellist of the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Elaine was a member of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, principal cellist of the WSU Symphony Orchestra, and cellist for the WSU Bloomfield Graduate String Quartet (finalists in the Wolff-Bing Chamber Music Contest in 2014 and winners of the KASTA 2013-14 State Solo/Chamber Competition).
As part of her community outreach work with the Bloomfield Quartet, Elaine helped design a “Kinderconcert” program based on Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and performed cello as the token “wild thing” (wearing cat ears, silver horns, and faux fur – there is a picture) in over 50 concerts in Wichita area elementary schools. Additionally, Elaine was a winner of the 2014 WSU Concerto-Aria Competition and a featured soloist when the WSU Symphony Orchestra toured the Pacific Northwest in May 2014.
Elaine has performed in numerous summer music festivals including Summit Music Festival in New York, Élan International Music Festival, Lev Aronson Legacy Festival, and the Mimir Chamber Music Festival, where she was a member of the Vivant String Quartet, critically acclaimed as having “natural synergy” and “sheer brilliance” (TheaterJones). She has participated in solo master classes with distinguished artists including Suren Bagratuni, Brian Thornton, Emanuel Gruber, Jesús Castro-Balbi, and André Emelianoff. Elaine has also received chamber music coachings from the Juilliard String Quartet, the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Frank Huang, Kirsten Docter, Brant Taylor, Jun Iwasaki, Ko Iwasaki, Catherine Consiglio, Matt Albert, Carol Leone, and Annie Boyle. She has been honored to perform with artists such as Alla Aranovskaya, Boris Vayner, Matt Albert, and Esteli Gomez, Virginia Warnken, and Cameron Beauchamp.
Elaine is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society as well as the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. In her free time between practicing and rehearsals, Elaine creates jewelry, writes, and enjoys spending time with her dog, Nicky. Additionally, Elaine works as a private cello teacher and freelance musician in Dallas, Texas.
Photo by Sarah Ruth Guess
Photo by Rosie Barney