Ismar Gomes, cello
Ismar Gomes is a master’s student at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor of Music from Peabody in 2009, studying with Alison Wells, and now continues his studies with Amit Peled. Ismar also works regularly with Clive Greensmith of the Tokyo Quartet in New York. Prior to his work at the Peabody Institute, Ismar was a student of Marc Johnson, cellist of the Vermeer Quartet. Originally from Cleveland, Ismar has performed throughout the US and Europe, including two tours of the Netherlands and performances in France and Canada. Recently he has performed concerts at the Kennedy Center, Severance Hall, Amsterdam City Hall, Château de Fontainebleau, and Harris Hall.
As a chamber musician, Ismar has commissioned and premiered many works by emerging composers and is the dedicatee of a solo sonata by a Pulitzer-Prize-nominated composer. This performance season already includes several premieres of works commissioned by Mr. Gomes, and there are more to come. At major festivals including Aspen, Bowdoin, Toronto Summer Academy, and the Zeist Music Days, Ismar has had the opportunity to play for the likes of Janos Starker, Steven Doane, and Paul Katz.
Also an accomplished orchestral musician, Ismar has performed with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Harrisburg Symphony, the Towson New Music Ensemble and serves as Assistant Principal of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony.
Ismar relishes the opportunity to pass along what he has learned through his work with the Vermeer and Jerusalem Quartets, as well as with members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Brentano and Tokyo Quartets. He has taught privately and coached chamber music in Cleveland and Baltimore, and for the past two years has coached chamber music at the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Summer Festival. While Ismar is not teaching, practicing and performing, he studies historical performance practice, philosophy, music history and enjoys watching opera.