Dr. Jake Saunders is a cellist, educator, and collaborative artist in Boise, Idaho. He is active within the symphonic, chamber, contemporary-classical, and popular music realms. 

Saunders serves as Associate Principal Cello with the Boise Philharmonic, where he also performs as a member of the Boise Philharmonic String Quartet. He is a tenured Section Cellist with the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Oregon Ballet Theater. A passionate and omnivorous chamber musician, Saunders has contributed to Idaho’s classical music community through the creation of new ensembles, including Thirdspace Quartet, Boise Cello Collective, and 208 ensemble. Additionally, Saunders enjoys mentoring a diverse private cello studio, and has recently been appointed as Cello Instructor at Northwest Nazarene University. 

As a founding member and cellist of Treasure Valley String Quartet, Saunders performs regularly as part of the Candlelight Concert Series and co-curates the quartet’s independent concert season. Through unique educational programs, distinctive collaboration, and world-class concert experiences, TVSQ catalyzes the emerging chamber music scene in the Treasure Valley and beyond. Saunders is the founder and Artistic Director of 208 ensemble, the first professional ensemble in Idaho dedicated to the advocacy and performance of music written by living composers. Since 2014, 208 ensemble has presented the Idaho-premiere of more than 50 contemporary works. Additionally, Saunders is the creator of Boise Cello Collective, a collaborative project among some of Idaho’s preeminent cellists specializing in the performance of classical, contemporary, and popular music in nontraditional venues. As an active member of Sphere Ensemble, Saunders has established himself as a sought after collaborative artist in Colorado. Other Colorado-based projects have included The Playground Ensemble and Boulder Altitude Directive. 

Saunders has held principal orchestral positions with Symphony Tacoma and the Opera Idaho Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, the New Hampshire Music Festival, Boulder Symphony, and Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, Saunders has served as principal cellist with the symphonies of the University of Colorado Boulder, Boise State University, and University of Michigan, as well as the Music Academy of the West’s Festival Orchestra.

As a recording artist, Saunders is featured on the soundtrack for the film The Social Dilemma, and has collaborated on recent studio releases by LA-based artists The Naked and Famous and Luna Shadows. Saunders can also be heard on releases by Idaho-based artists East Forest, LED, Quiet Arrows, and Tispur. His forthcoming solo album, One by One, includes works for cello by Bright Sheng, Nathalie Joachim, Nina Shekhar, and Sarah Kirkland-Snider.

Saunders has attended music festivals in the United States and abroad, including Aspen Music Festival and School, Ensemble Evolutions at the Banff Centre (CA), Blackbird Creative Lab, Music Academy of the West, Accademia Musicale Chigiana (IT), Castleman Quartet Program, LyricaFest, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Astona International Festival (CH), and International Music Academy at Pilsen (CZ). Former chamber music mentors include members of the Cleveland, Takacs, Cavani, Zemlinsky, Fry Street, and Ying Quartets, as well as International Contemporary Ensemble, eighth blackbird, Charles Castleman, Laura Bossert, and Terry King.  

Saunders holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Cello Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he served as Teaching Assistant to Prof. David Requiro. Additional degrees include Master of Music (MM) in Music Performance from Boise State University, where he studied with Dr. Brian Hodges, and Bachelor of Music (BM) in Cello Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance, where he studied with Prof. Richard Aaron.