Dr. Jake Saunders is a cellist, educator, and collaborative artist based in Boise, Idaho and Denver, Colorado. 

In 2021, Saunders accepted the position of Associate Principal Cello with the Boise Philharmonic, where he also performs as a member of the Boise Philharmonic String Quartet. As an active member of Playground Ensemble and Sphere Ensemble, Saunders has established himself as a sought after collaborative artist in Colorado. Other Colorado-based projects include Boulder Altitude Directive (BAD), Boulder Symphony, and Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra.

Saunders is a founding member 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. In 2018, 208 ensemble introduced is flagship project “Avant Garden”, designed to commission chamber music from emerging and underrepresented composers and cultivate an accessible, collaborative environment for the performance of contemporary art in Boise, Idaho. 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. Saunders serves as the group’s director, arranger, and principal cellist. 

Saunders has held principal orchestral positions with Symphony Tacoma and the Opera Idaho Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, Boise Philharmonic, and the New Hampshire Music Festival. 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. 

Saunders has attended music festivals in the United States and abroad, including 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, Zemlinksy, Fry Street, and Ying Quartets, as well as International Contemporary Ensemble, eighth blackbird, Charles Castleman, Laura Bossert, and Terry King.  Saunders has studied extensively with Richard Aaron, Dr. Brian Hodges, Terry King, and Samuel Smith.

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.