| About the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra: |
Eleanor Blake, cello-- Eleanor Blake was born in Milford, MA and resided in Uxbridge, MA for the first 19 years of her life. She attended the Whitinsville Christian School, where she first fell in love with the cello. During her thirteen years as a student with the Whitinsville Christian Suzuki Strings program, Eleanor toured much of the Eastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. With the WCS strings, she performed at Disney World, and was a repeated guest on The Back to God Hour. Eleanor held Principle and Assistant Principle positions in the Massachusetts Central District and All-State Festivals. Eleanor graduated from The Boston Conservatory where she was a student of Ronald Feldman (Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Andrew Mark (Boston Pops). She was awarded the Susan Glover Hitchcock Award for excellence in musical academics from 2000 through 2002. Eleanor has studied with Alexander Baillie (Bremen Conservatory, Germany), and Mark Johnson (Vermeer Quartet). She has studied Orchestral Performance with Sato Knudsen (Boston Symphony Orchestra) Alan Stepansky (New York Philharmonic), and Mihail Jojatu (Boston Symphony Orchestra). Eleanor has performed with James Levine, Renee Fleming, Andre Previn, Bernard Haitink, Raphael Frühbeck De Burgos, Oliver Knussen, Sir Andrew Davis, and Emanuel Ax. Eleanor has participated in Tanglewood Music Center, The Elliott Carter Centenary Celebration, The Manchester Music Festival, The Festival de Violoncelle des Cote des Isles in Normandy, France and the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Eleanor is a freelance musician in the New England area. She is a member of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with the National Lyric Opera of New York, New England String Ensemble, Central Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, New Bedford Symphony and served as a substitute cellist for the New World Symphony from 2003-2009. Currently, Eleanor is on the faculty of the Whitinsville Christian School, where her cello studies once began. Additionally, she runs a cello studio in her home in Milford, MA. She has coached chamber music and string sectionals for the Metrowest Youth Symphony. Eleanor participated in The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra’s Inaugural Season. She has been a regular member since 2003. She is thrilled that an orchestra has been established in her childhood home, and glad to be a member! Eleanor currently lives in Milford, MA with her husband Robert Blake, a composer who had the honor of conducting his string orchestra piece, “Verklärtes Leben”, during The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra’s 2008-2009 Season. Robert is the Music Director at St. Mary of the Assumption in Milford, MA. Eleanor may be contacted for cello lessons in Milford or for freelance work at 617-596-6778, eleanorcello@aol.com, or you may read more at www.eleanorblakecello.com. |
Eleanor Blake with composer husband Robert Blake at Claflin Hill's 2008-09 season opener. Blake's tribute to Eleanor, Verklärtes Leben, was featured during the performance.
|
