Len Cheatham has performed as both soloist and orchestral musician across the U.S.
He is currently Principal Cellist of the Hendricks Symphony Orchestra, and he has participated in many other groups over his career:
- Chamber music player with the U. S. Navy String Quartet, the Kuralen Trio, and many other chamber groups.
- Assistant Principal Cellist of the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra
- Principal Cellist of the Mesa Symphony Orchestra and Raleigh Symphony Orchestra
- Member of the Symphony of the Southwest and the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra
- Performed as soloist with the North Carolina Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony, and the Chandler Symphony
In 2005 he founded the Arizona Repertory Orchestra, a sightreading group, which performs an entire 2-hour program each week in the summer, without rehearsal. He also performed at the White House while a member of the Navy String Quartet. He has won the Lima Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition and the Phoenix Symphony Guild Young Musicians Competition, Grand Prize.
He holds a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University in Cello Performance, and has also studied with Takayori Atsumi, Cassell Grubb of DePauw University, Orlando Cole of the New School of Music in Philadelphia, and Scott Ballantyne of the Julliard School of Music.
He enjoys gardening, working as a Webelos Cub Scout Leader, writing novels, composing music, and playing the best video game of all time: the stock market.
We are delighted to have Mr. Cheatham as a distinguished cello instructor at Gain Music Academy!