Artist Spotlight: Zuill Bailey - Mobile Symphony Orchestra

2017 Grammy Award-Winning Zuill Bailey grew up in Northern Virginia, where he was influenced and inspired by Rostropovich, who was then Director of the National Symphony. His parents are musicians; his mother is a pianist and his father has a Doctorate in both music and education. His sister is a violinist.

As an energetic four year old, while running furiously down a back hallway following a concert, Zuill Bailey had his first “run- in ” with a cello. The instrument was broken following the encounter, but Bailey’s spirit was not. He announced then that the cello would be his instrument of choice. The rest is history.

Mr. Bailey’s performance instrument is made by the greatVenetian cello maker, Matteo Gofriller in 1693. The instrument was used for 30 years by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet. “Cello Bailey” accompanies Zuill Bailey on airlines throughout his world travels.

Zuill Bailey insures involvement in every community he visits by participating in outreach programs. He works diligently to make classical music accessible to all, primarily children everywhere.

Zuill Bailey is Artistic Director of El Paso Pro Musica, (Texas), the Sitka Summer Music Festival, (Alaska), the Northwest Bach Festival ( Washington), the Mesa Arts Center Series (Arizona) and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas at El Paso.

In 2016, Bailey was nominated for and won a Grammy award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his recording of American composer Michael Daugherty’s cello concerto Tales of Hemingway recorded by the Nashville Symphony.