Peter Ellis, a Seattle native, began his studies in the fourth grade. He played in the Seattle Youth Symphonies and played principal cello for the 2000 European tour. His teachers include Ray Davis, former principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony, Dr. Leslie Marckx, Karen Iglitzen, Anthony Elliott, Earling Blöndal Bengston, and Toby Saks. In high school, Peter studied with Anthony Elliott at the Aspen Music Festival and School and followed Professor Elliott to the University of Michigan, where Peter received a merit scholarship.  He continued his studies at the University of Washington, where he studied with professor Toby Saks. Peter earned his Suzuki method certification at Pomona College under the tutelage of Rick Mooney. 

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Peter has backed notable performers including Burt Bacharach, Leon Fleisher, Christian McBride and Doc Severinsen.

 

Peter is an alum of the University of Michigan, the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Henry Mancini Institute.

 

Peter currently coaches the cello sections at Islander Middle School and Mercer Island High School. Peter offers private cello lessons to the greater Seattle Eastside.

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Peter has gained intimate knowledge of the Bach cello suites and has made them accessible to the general public with over 5,000 performances as a street musician!

 

You can hear him regularly perform at local festivals U-District street fair, Fremont Solstice, Bumbershoot, Issaquah Salmon Days as well as at the Issaquah Farmer's market. ​​

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Peter enjoys the outdoors and has toured with his cello while hiking the wonderland trail around Mt. Rainier and the Pacific Crest trail along the Cascade range.   

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In 2016, Peter toured the Pacific Northwest by bicycle with cello in tow. The goal was to visit local luthiers to commission a custom cello of the highest standard. The projected culminated in 2018 with a wonderful Stradivarius 'forma B' cello by Queen Anne maker, Duncan MacDonald, complete with a beautifully carved lion's head scroll. To maintain historical accuracy, the instrument is strung with pure gut strings.      

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Peter also plays a cello of the new Venetian school c. 1900 by bohemian maker, Mathias Heinicke. Mathias was known for selecting aged woods salvaged from churches, though the cello was made 120 years ago, the wood is much older and produces a wonderfully warm tone. Peter found this cello in Prague while on tour with the Seattle Youth Symphony and has been playing it for 25 years. This cello is wired with a Fishman c-200 ceramic bridge pick-up for acoustic or amplified playing.

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Peter seeks to expand the role of the cello in contemporary music, in addition to acoustic cello, Peter plays a Yamaha 'Silent' electric cello and employs looping and effect pedals to create unique soundscapes.