Alex Cox
Alex Cox, cellist
Finding the cello was a lucky misfortune for Alex Cox. Born in West Palm Beach to a family of non-musicians he was introduced to the violin at age nine. He played for a year before his school music teacher forced a cello into his hands because nobody else would play it. Now, he has a string of accomplishments originating from this fateful incident.
Alex has appeared as a soloist with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas, Keith Lockhart, and James Feddeck with the New World Symphony, Boston Pops, and Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. He won the Cleveland Institute of Music concerto competitions, 2nd prize in the Aspen Festival low strings competition, and has served as co principal cellist of the Juilliard Orchestra. He was a teaching assistant to Melissa Kraut at the Meadowmount School. In addition, he has performed chamber music with current luminaries including Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Joseph Silverstein, Paul Kantor, Peter Salaff, and Cho Liang Lin, to name a few.
He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he worked with Melissa Kraut and met his future wife Erica (also in the quartet). Alex discovered the magic of string quartet playing in Cleveland where the Cavani Quartet inspired his emotive and imaginative senses. Since then his chamber music pursuits have led to working with Paul Katz, Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, Kim Kashkashian, and members of the Emerson and Juilliard Quartets. He’s also been to the Steans Institute at Ravinia, Yellowbarn, Perlman Music Program, and the Banff Centre.
Alex completed his Masters of Music at the Juilliard School working with Timothy Eddy and further graduate studies with Paul Katz and Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory. Currently he is working towards a DMA at the University of Maryland and advised by Eric Kutz.
Alex is fortunate to be performing on a Giovanni Bianchi cello from 1746 generously loaned to him by soloist and pedagogue Bion Tsang. He loves travelling and finding the best food spots in each local area. He and Erica make their home together in Takoma Park, MD with their cat Bentley.
