Meet Jacob
Jacob Rothermel has been described as “thoughtful cellist.” He began his life as a cellist at the age of five. Mr. Rothermel performs as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral musician. Having originally pursued academic track Philosophy in college, Jacob was moved in his late teens to pursue a career as a musician. He still appreciates philosophical thought which helps to inform his musical understanding and processes. In addition to his career as a cellist, Jacob is also a Certified Personal Trainer, giving him a unique perspective on how anatomy and muscle structures tie into playing the cello.
As a soloist, Jacob performed three recitals at St. Olaf College and DePaul University, including both solo and chamber ensemble works. In addition to these recitals, he performed as a soloist with the St. Olaf Orchestra in the spring of 2019, performing the final movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto as part of the Senior Soloist Competition. As a Fellow at Apollo Music Festival he performed both solo and chamber music. His other roles have included being a musician for a high-ranking Naval Change of Command Ceremony, wedding and gala events, and other staged performances.
He is a passionate music educator who is deeply engaged discovering new methods, understanding the cello and imparting that knowledge to his students. With his experience as a personal trainer, he brings a unique expertise in body mechanics and teaching the use of one’s body. This skill set compliments to his ability to guide students successfully to overcome difficulties in their own playing and to develop a sustainable system of playing cello.
Jacob Rothermel graduated from St. Olaf College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Philosophy and graduated with a Master of Music in Cello Performance from DePaul University in 2021. He attended the International Cello Institute for two years (2017, 2018) and has since collaborated with the festival for recording projects. Jacob served as both Festival Operations Manager and Fellow at the Apollo Music Festival. His primary teachers include Seth Castleton, David Carter, Anna Clift, and Stephen Balderston.
Where has he been?
Jacob holds degrees from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and DePaul University’s School of Music in Chicago. He has studied and performed numerous times in Western Europe, primarily in Austria and Norway, in addition to performing across the United States.
Jacob spent some time in Vienna, Austria studying music through the IES study abroad program. This gave him the opportunity to study with many acclaimed Viennese musicians including Josef Luitz, former principal cellist of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, with whom he studied privately. Near the end of his time at St. Olaf College, Jacob toured Norway with the St. Olaf Orchestra and Choir under Steven Amundson and Anton Armstrong, performing at a diverse array of venues across the country including: Operahuset i Oslo (Oslo), Stavanger Konserthus (Stavanger), Grieghallen (Bergen), Voss Kulturhus (Voss), Operahuset Nordfjord (Nordfjord), and Nidarosdomen (Trondheim).