Adjunct Instructor, Cello | Director, Chamber Music Ensemble
Email: leo.eguchi@bc.edu
MUSP1845: Boston College Cello Ensemble
MUSP2820: Chamber Music Ensembles
Leo Eguchi has been described as 鈥渃opiously skilled and confident鈥 (New York Times) with performances that were "ravishing" (New Bedford Standard-Times) and "played with passion and vitality" (Boston Music Intellegencer).
A native of Michigan, Leo has performed extensively across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. As an active soloist and chamber musician who believes in the power of music for social change, Leo recently launched a nationally recognized immigration-themed solo cello project titled UNACCOMPANIED, which brings together immigrant and first-generation American composers to use music to explore shared experiences of American-ness and feelings of displacement in today鈥檚 society. Leo is the co-founder and co-artistic director of both the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival (Oregon) and Sheffield Chamber Players (Massachusetts), two organizations that are innovating the classical performance model and building community through music. Additionally, Leo performs with Shelter Music Boston, which delivers classical music to homeless shelters and substance misuse recovery centers.
A strong advocate of new music, Leo has worked closely with, and premiered dozens of works by many of today鈥檚 most important composers, including Jessie Montgomery, Gabriela Lena Frank, Osvaldo Golijov, Reena Esmail, Kenji Bunch, Joan Tower, Kevin Day, Lei Liang, and Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Other recent performing highlights include being a prize winner at the 2021 ProCello International Cello Competition, multiple GRAMMY nominated recording releases from Parma recordings, concerto appearances, artist residencies ranging from Atlanta to Afghanistan, and opportunities to share the non-classical stage with the likes of Pete Townshend, Cynthia Erivo, Steven Tyler, Queen Latifah, Melissa Etheridge, Demi Lovato, Brian Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Peter Gabriel, Billy Idol, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, and Audra McDonald, just to name a few.