Josh Aerie is an experienced instructor, chamber musician, and performer. He received his Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Colorado in 2002, and completed his undergraduate work at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Oberlin College, where he received both a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Anthropology.
Mr. Aerie was the cellist of the Nacht String Quartet, the University of Colorado's Graduate Quartet from 2000 to 2002. Mentored by the Grammy-winning Takacs Quartet, the Nacht won both first prize and the audience choice award in the Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Competition in December 2001. They were then invited to be the inaugural quartet in an exchange and residency program with the Hans Eisler Conservatory in Berlin. Subsequently, the Quartet spent 8 weeks in Germany, performing in Berlin, Lichterfelde, and Bielefeld.
At the University of Colorado, Mr. Aerie was Principal Cellist of the CU Symphony and Opera Orchestras. He was a frequent guest on many student and faculty recitals, both with the Nacht Quartet and as a soloist. At the Oberlin Conservatory, Mr. Aerie was Principal of the Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Assistant Principal of the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra and Oberlin Opera Orchestra. Mr. Aerie is currently on the cello faculty at the College of St. Scholastica, and freelances in the Duluth, MN area. In the summer of 2004 he moved to Northern Virginia from Los Angeles where he was a successful freelancer and teacher. While in Southern California he was a regular cellist in many orchestras, including the Riverside Philharmonic, the San Bernardino Symphony, the Los Angeles Debut Orchestra, and the Golden State Pops. While in the Washington, D.C. area Mr. Aerie performed with the National Philharmonic, Maryland Symphony, Baltimore Concert Artists, Fairfax Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, and the National Cathedral Orchestra. Additionally, he performed for various dignitaries, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Anthony Principi, foreign ambassadors, and members of congress at such venues as the Kennedy Center, Strathmore Hall, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian museums.
Mr. Aerie enjoys teaching and maintains an active studio. Instructing cellists of all ages and abilities, his students have distinguished themselves in state and regional competitions and orchestras, and in school and scholarship auditions. Mr. Aerie has conducted master classes and coached various ensembles, and he is sought after as a judge for competitions and auditions. While at Oberlin, he was Instructor of Cello in both the Conservatory's String Preparatory Program and the Secondary Lesson Program. He also coached and conducted for the Washington D.C. Youth Orchestra Program, the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Capital Cello Circle. Breaking out of the 'classical mold', Mr. Aerie has played electric cello for various bands, ensembles, and solo artists. He has written string arrangements for recordings, played for film, television, and audio sessions, and performed at some of the most renowned clubs in L.A., Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Laguna Beach. Mr. Aerie can be heard on two recordings for the Vitamin Records label, the Frozen Food Section Records, and United Artists Publishing.