ANNOUNCING ZUILL BAILEY
Charleston Symphony’s Artist-in-Residence

The Charleston Symphony is proud to announce the appointment of Zuill Bailey as its new Artist-in-Residence for the 2025-2026 season. One of the most sought-after cellists in the world, Bailey is a Grammy Award-winning artist with an extensive discography and appearances with leading orchestras and chamber ensembles worldwide.

The residency will feature Bailey in curated chamber music programs, orchestral masterworks performances, and community engagement initiatives throughout the season. Known for his signature artistry, technical brilliance, and audience connections, this new partnership further reinforces the Symphony’s commitment to enriching the cultural fabric of the Lowcountry.

“We are thrilled to welcome Zuill Bailey as our new Artist-in-Residence,” said Yuriy Bekker, CSO Artistic Director & Concertmaster. “Zuill is one of the top cellists of our generation, a celebrated musician and an incredibly engaging artist. I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with him on a variety of projects in both orchestral and chamber music settings. I know our audience will absolutely love getting to know him.”

FEATURED CONCERTS

Zuill Bailey, widely considered one of the premiere cellists in the world, is a Grammy Award winning, internationally renowned soloist, recitalist, Artistic Director and teacher.  His rare combination of celebrated artistry, technical wizardry and engaging personality has made him one of the most sought after and active cellists today.

Mr. Bailey has been featured with symphony orchestras and music festivals worldwide.  He won the Best Solo Performance Grammy Award in 2017, for his recording of  Michael Daugherty’s “Tales of Hemingway,” with the Nashville Symphony led by Giancarlo Guerrero.  His extensive discography includes his newest release – the world premier recording of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Cello Concerto with the Santa Rosa Symphony. In 2021 he released his second recording of the Bach Cello Suites for PS Audio’s Octave Records label, recorded and mixed in stereo and multichannel sound.

He appeared in a recurring role on the HBO series “Oz,” and has been heard on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “Tiny Desk Concert,” “Performance Today,” “Saint Paul Sunday,” BBC’s  “In Tune,” XM Radio’s “Live from Studio II,” Sirius Satellite Radio’s “Virtuoso Voices,” and his latest disc of Bach Suites was the disc of the week on Sirius’ Symphony Hall.

Mr. Bailey received his Bachelor’s Degree from the Peabody Conservatory where he was named the 2014 Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Alumni, and received a Master’s Degree from the Juilliard School.  He performs on the “rosette” 1693 Matteo Gofriller Cello formerly owned by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet.

He is the Artistic Director of El Paso Pro-Musica (Texas), the Sitka Summer Music Festival/Series and Cello Seminar, (Alaska), Juneau Jazz and Classics, (Alaska), the Northwest Bach Festival (Washington),  Classical Inside Out Series- Mesa Arts Center (Arizona) and is Director of the Center for Arts Entrepreneurship and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas at El Paso.