Member Profile

Cellist Kevin Bate is an active soloist and chamber musician. He has performed as featured soloist with orchestras in Europe and North America and has given recitals on both continents. Mr. Bate serves as Principal Cellist of the Nashville Symphony. Additionally, Mr. Bate is the cellist of the Gloriosa Trio along with pianist, Yoonie Han, and violinist, Eric Silberger.  Previously, Mr. Bate held positions as Principal Cellist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Kentucky, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra and was an Artist in Residence at the University of Evansville as a member of the Eykamp String Quartet.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kevin Bate began playing the cello at age nine, first studying with Suzanne Hayworth and Scott Tisdel.  Mr. Bate began his university studies with Uri Vardi at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was awarded the distinguished Madison Music full-tuition scholarship. After studying at the University of Wisconsin for two years, Mr. Bate studied in Germany with Adriana Contino at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, also with a full scholarship. Mr. Bate holds a Performance Diploma from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he worked with world renowned cellist, Janos Starker. While studying at Indiana University, Mr. Bate was awarded both the celebrated Eva Heinitz and Michael Kuttner scholarships. Later, Mr. Bate completed his undergraduate degree at DePauw University with honors. While studying with Eric Edberg at DePauw, Mr. Bate was awarded a Performance Certificate, the Music Performance Award, and was elected Phi Kappa Lambda.

As a champion of contemporary music, Mr. Bate has premiered several new compositions and has collaborated in recording new works for the Summit label. As a member of the Kuttner Quartet, Mr. Bate premiered the winning piece of Indiana University's composition competition, String Quartet by Joseph Sheehan. In 2008, he performed Russell Peck's Voice of the Woods concerto for four cellists with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Most recently, as a member of the Eykamp String Quartet, he worked with Lowell Liebermann to perform his fourth String Quartet.

Mr. Bate plays on a modern cello made by Turkish maker Ersen Aycan and a German bow made by Hermann Richard Pfretzschner.