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The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra’s (NMSO) Principal Cellist Joan Zucker was first heard by New Mexicans in the mid-seventies, as jazz cellist with the Johnny Gilbert Quartet and Principal Cellist of the Orchestra of Santa Fe. Since then she has performed in many of New Mexico's finest ensembles, from the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Opera, to Twentieth Century Unlimited. She has performed as concerto soloist and recitalist, and in numerous chamber groups, orchestras, and festivals in the United States and in Venezuela, her home for four years.
Zucker
is a versatile musician who has taught extensively (cello, recorder,
voice, orchestra, chamber music, theory, composition and improvisation),
both privately and at various institutions including U.C. Santa Cruz,
Ithaca College, and UNM. A native New Yorker, Joan holds music degrees
from Bennington and Ithaca Colleges.
She is married to NMSO's Assistant Concertmaster, Joseph Zoeckler, whom she met in Venezuela when they were both members of the Filarmonica de Caracas. In addition to performing together as N.M. Artists in Residence, they have had the good fortune to backpack in areas as diverse as the Andes and the Himalayas. Their current challenge and delight is raising their son. |
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Zucker feels privileged to play on a Benjamin Banks cello made in Salisbury, England in 1788, that she purchased in London in 1989.
Photos by Joe Zoeckler |
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Read on for a more personal and detailed biography adapted from a NMSO Program Book that includes quotes by Zucker. The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra’s principal cellist, Joan Zucker, grew up in New York City in a family of musically talented physicians and scientists for whom musical education was a priority. All four children were sent to the School of Musical Education where Joan studied everything from piano and recorder to music theory and choral singing in their eight year certificate program. She went to high school at the New Lincoln School – another place where music study was an important part of the curriculum – and there she wrote a piece for orchestra that was performed at her graduation. She continued her cello, voice, and composition studies at Bennington College in Vermont. Her senior year voice teacher took Joan and 15 other students to Italy with him for a semester. They lived and studied in a castle in Tuscany. “The experience had a fantastic influence on me both personally and musically,” she said. Lacking a cello teacher, Joan studied cello performance with the voice teacher, frank Baker. “I learned about phrasing and the projection of musical ideas -- about how to breathe emotion and life into my playing. It was both inspiring and perplexing studying with a fabulous musician who knew nothing about cello technique.” |
Age 11-12 |
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She decided to return to school and earned a master’s degree in cello performance from Ithaca College in 1977. She then freelanced in New York City including regular performances with the Consort Piano Trio. From there she traveled to Caracas, Venezuela where petro dollars where flowing and five full time orchestras paying excellent salaries had attracted rosters of top quality international musicians. Zucker played in the Orquesta Filarmonica de Caracas in the first two years of its existence. In Caracas she met and began to share life with NMSO violinist Joe Zoeckler. The two of them moved to Merida, Venezuela in the Andes, playing in the Orquesta Filarmonica de Merida, where Zucker was principal cellist and soloist. She also performed extensively with a string quartet: the Cuarteto International de Cuerdas, and taught in the national music school. |
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 1983
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They left for Florida in 1982, soon deciding that what they really wanted to do was travel in Asia. After four months of trekking in Nepal and Thailand and exploring India and China, they came back to New Mexico where there were cello and violin openings in the Orchestra of Santa Fe. They “paid their musical dues” piecing together a living gigging, teaching privately, teaching at United World College, playing in the Roswell, Santa Fe and NM symphonies as well as the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and working some as NM Artists in Residence. |
| Joan enjoys her career.
“There can be an incredible sense of communication between the
performers and the audience that transcends words and goes directly
heart to heart. I
particularly love performing chamber music.
The rehearsal process is fun: hashing musical ideas out together,
trying things you wouldn’t have tried on your own.
And then letting the spirit of the piece flow through you during
a performance-enjoying spontaneously and wordlessly communicating with
your colleagues and your audience so that each performance is unique,
and the audience is part of the re-creation of that piece at that
moment. It’s very
special. And I consider myself very lucky to be able to make a living as
a performing musician.”
Joan & Joe married in 1989 and had their son Leo in 1992. (During late pregnancy she claims she practically had to play the cello sidesaddle!) Joan tries to lead a well-rounded life, definitely not considering herself a “cello jock.” She likes devoting time & energy to parenting, gardening, hiking, crafts, skiing, meditation and travel in addition to her musical pursuits. |
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