Ronald Gardiner
Associate Professor of Cello
Email Professor Gardiner

BM in cello performance, Eastman School of Music
MM in cello performance and literature, Eastman School of Music Additional studies at the Hochschule fur Musik in Freiburg, Germany, and the Peabody Conservatory.

Biography
Ronald Gardiner is a former prizewinner of the Midland-Odessa National Young Artist Competition held in Midland, Texas. During his studies in Europe, he was invited to perform for Hungarian pianist Gyorgy Sebok in his international master classes held in Ernen, Switzerland. He has also performed in master classes for Mstislav Rostropovich, Steven Isserlis, Ronald Leonard, Paul Katz, Hans Jorgen-Jensen, and Rheinhard Goebel.

As a professional orchestral musician, Gardiner has worked with internationally renowned conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, Sir Neville Marriner, James DePriest, Yuri Temirkanov, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gunther Herbig, Robert Shaw, and Yan Pascal Tortelier, among others. As both an orchestral and chamber musician, Gardiner has recorded for the Vox Classics, BIS, and Albany record labels.

Gardiner is a former member of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and he performed as a regular substitute with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic during his student years at Eastman. A former member of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Gardiner frequently served as their Acting Principal Cellist.

An active freelance musician, Gardiner has performed in orchestras for artists such as Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Kool and the Gang, Mannheim Steamroller, The Gatlin Brothers, Wynonna Judd, Chuck Mangione, Roy Clark, Roger Williams, Ron Carter and Marvin Hamlisch, among others. Recently, he has also been asked to perform in the stage orchestra for Josh Groban and for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

In addition to his work at Southeastern, Gardiner serves as Principal Cellist with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Former teaching positions include the music faculties of Houghton College, the David Hochstein Memorial Music School, and the Masterworks Festival, as well as an adjunct faculty position at the Eastman School of Music during his graduate studies.

Gardiner teaches the following classes: Aural Theory, Intro to Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Chamber Orchestra, String Techniques, and Cello Choir. His research/performance interests are orchestral music, chamber music, solo performance, and free improvisation.