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. Saunders has held principal orchestral positions with Symphony Tacoma and the Opera Idaho Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, and the New Hampshire Music Festival. Saunders is a founding member and Artistic Director of 208 ensemble, the first professional ensemble in Idaho dedicated to the performance of music written by living composers. As an active member of the Playground Ensemble and Sphere Ensemble, Saunders has established himself as a sought-after collaborative artist in Colorado. 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.
