Many Strings to His Bow" Alumnus Terrence Thornhill ’11 is a dynamic music educator, successful cellist, and social justice advocate. Find out how he’s making a difference!
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Terrence Thornhill serves as the Instrumental Music Director at Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey. Mr. Thornhill earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University studying Cello with Nicholas Tzavaras, Cellist of the Shanghai Quartet. He received his master’s degree in Cello Performance from SUNY Purchase College, studying cello with Julia Lichten, cellist of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Thornhill studied conducting with Ken Lam, Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Symphony Orchestra.
As an educator, Mr. Thornhill maintains a diverse private cello studio in the New York Metro Area, teaching students from young children to adults. In addition to his private studio, Mr. Thornhill is on the Faculty of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as the curriculum director/assistant conductor of youth orchestras. He is the conductor of the Varsity Youth Orchestra, the JCC Thurnauer School of Music String Camerata. Mr. Thornhill is the Music Director and Founder of the Harambee Chamber Orchestra, which is a youth orchestra dedicated to performing works by historically excluded composers, specifically composers of color and women. The Harambee Chamber Orchestra fundraises through its concerts for projects that the group feels passionate about, giving students experience using music as a vehicle to make change in their communities. Mr. Thornhill is an original teaching artist and lead conductor for the Paterson Music Project, an El Sistema program serving over 250 students in Paterson, New Jersey and the lead conductor at the Opportunity Music Project which services El Sistema students in New York City.
Moreover, Mr. Thornhill’s credits include winning Concerto Competitions at both Montclair State University and SUNY Purchase Conservatory. Mr. Thornhill has performed on the Grammys and late night television shows Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Mr. Thornhill is the inaugural award recipient of the John J. Cali School of Music Alumni Achievement Award in 2018. The same year, Mr. Thornhill was selected to be on cello faculty at the Youth Orchestras of Los Angeles National El Sistema Festival sponsored by The Los Angeles Philharmonic.