John Dunlop has been playing and teaching cello in Vermont for over 30 years. Raised in Burlington, John received degrees from Oberlin College and the San Francisco Conservatory before returning to join the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, where he has played as principal cellist for almost twenty years. This past season saw him premiering a new concerto written for him by Syrian-Canadian composer Suad Bushnaq.
As a founding member of both the VSO Jukebox Quartet, the Eclectica Quartet and the TURN ensemble, John has been an advocate for new music and performs both classical and contemporary music in unconventional venues, reaching out to both veteran music lovers and younger audiences. He has performed with such popular entertainers as Bernadette Peters, Lyle Lovett, Trey Anastasio, and Lucius. In addition, he has scored and performed several award-winning short films, performing on cello, guitar and bouzouki.
Dunlop has also performed extensively as principal cellist with the Burlington Chamber Orchestra, Eleva Chamber Players, Opera North, Opera Company of Middlebury, and the Green Mountain Opera.
John teaches cello at Dartmouth College as well as maintaining a private studio in Richmond Vermont, where he has trained several generations of conservatory-bound students.
