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Celebrating 64 Years of Inspired Music Making!

June 28 – August 2, 2025

Beth Vanderborgh

Headshot of Beth torso up, standing and holding cello upright. Setting is golden hour/sunset in the outdoors. The background is sunlit WY scrubland.

Cellist BETH VANDERBORGH enjoys a diverse career as professor and cellist, performing in many styles, from the Baroque to contemporary, earning critical acclaim: “Lyrical and technically accomplished… eloquent and persuasive.”  (The Strad, London) 

Currently, Vanderborgh serves on the faculty of the University of Wyoming, as principal cellist of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra, as cellist in the Colorado Chamber Players, and as assistant principal cello of the Pro-Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra. She is a founding member of the acclaimed Stanislas Sextet, based in Nancy, France, and tours regularly with the Helios Trio, who made their Carnegie Hall debut, to great acclaim, in 2022.  This June she will teach a 10-day master course at Shanghai University on cello, chamber, and chamber orchestra repertoire.

Vanderborgh has collaborated in chamber music performances with Lynn Harrell, Susan Graham, Frederica von Stade, Augustin Hadelich, Elmar Oliviera, Yura Lee, Nadia Solerno-Sonnenberg, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Jon Nakamatsu, Garrick Ohlsson, and Bela Davidovich. 

As a Baroque cellist and viola da gambist, Vanderborgh toured with Wyoming Baroque, Montana Baroque, performed at the Virginia Baroque Academy, played continuo for the Colorado Bach Ensemble, performed solo viola da gamba for Baroque in Barn with the Cheyenne Symphony, and has recorded Bach’s Solo Suite No. 1 on Baroque cello. Her mentors include Martha McGaughey (Mannes), Kenneth Slowick (Smithsonian Institution) and Ann Marie Morgan (formerly, Peabody).  This spring she will be recording 18th century cello repertoire at the Smithsonian with Kenneth Slowik on the Servais and Marylebone Stradivarius cellos.

Her most recent CD, with the Staninlas Sextet, of Brahms and Dvorak sextets was recorded by Radio France and released in 2018 by the European label, Forgotten Records. She has recorded two CDs for Albany Records, both released in 2013: Chamber Music of Jennifer Higdon (“Highly recommended!” –Fanfare Magazine) and Salon Music of August Nölck for Cello and Piano. Strad Magazine described her Nölck recording as “lyrical and technically accomplished… eloquent and persuasive.” The CD, When the Spirit Sings, was released on Centaur in 2017 and features Musica Harmonia performing chamber music of Gwyneth Walker. Dr. Vanderborgh has collaborated in chamber music performances with Lynn Harrell, Susan Graham, Frederica von Stade, Augustin Hadelich, Elmar Oliviera, Yura Lee, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Jon Nakamatsu, Garrick Ohlsson and Bela Davidovich. 

Her students have been accepted to such illustrious institutions as the Curtis Institute, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Manhattan School of Music, among others, for further studies. They have won positions in orchestras and academic settings and have been recent regional and national finalists in the MTNA Young Artist Solo Competition in strings. 

Vanderborgh holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Maryland, where her teachers included David Geber, Evelyn Elsing, and David Soyer. She engaged in intensive chamber music studies with the Guarneri, Juilliard, Cleveland, and American String Quartets and Historical Performance studies with Kenneth Slowik and Louis Bagger. She attended the Banff, Aspen, Taos and Quartet Program festivals, and has performed in masterclasses for Yo Yo Ma, Anner Bylsma, and Lynn Harrell. 

She recently commissioned American composer Gwyneth Walker to write a cello duo based on the spiritual landscape of Wyoming, made into a music video from the location Vedawoo, WY (from the spirit). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1AtzM0MEW0

When not playing the cello, Vanderborgh enjoys skiing, equestrian sports, and hiking in the beautiful Wyoming wilderness with her two Malinois (and husband).  She was honored to represent the State of Wyoming in the 2019 National Senior Olympics, where she reached the podium earning 5th place in both the 20k and 40k women’s cycling road races. She has served on the artist-faculty of EMF since 1998.