Richard Hotchkiss, President, Cellist
Mr. Hotchkiss performed on the Grammy Award winning soundtrack to Standing in the Shadows of Motown with the Funk Brothers and with Chaka Kahn on her Grammy Award winning performance of Whats Going On. He has also performed with Joni Mitchell, Barry Manilow,Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Page/Robert Plant, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, David Byrne,The Moody Blues, Meat Loaf, Roger Daltry, Lyle Lovett, Paul Anka, Harry Connick Jr., Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton, Sandy Duncan, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra Jr., ELO, Johnny Mathis, Jeffrey Gaines, the Atlantic City Symphony, the Ocean City Pops and others at locations including The Kimmel Center.The Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Mann Music Center, Tower Theater, The Spectrum, TLA Theater, Stabler Arena, as well as the Atlantic City casinos. Mr. Hotchkiss has been featured as a soloist in the WHYY production of Dancemaker/Judith Jamison. As an Electric Cellist, he has performed at the First International Congress of Cellos, Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts and at the Spoleto Festival 1991 in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Hotchkiss also has performed for many dignitaries including First Lady Barbara Bush in Washington DC.
As the President of Hotstrings, Inc., Mr. Hotchkiss has been the local string contractor for Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Page/Robert Plant, The Moody Blues, Meatloaf, Roger Daltry, and Lyle Lovett.. Hotstrings, Inc. has also provided union musicians for the Camden Diocese, MJD Productions, Inc., as well as many recordings, weddings, business receptions and openings.
In addition to performing, Mr. Hotchkiss is on the faculty at The University of the Arts and the New Jersey School of Music. He is the President of Passport Music Software, makers of music notation software Encore, Music Time Deluxe and Master Tracks Pro.
Mr. Hotchkiss has served as the 1st Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and as a Governor on the board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Philadelphia Chapter.
Mr. Hotchkiss earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Violoncello Performance degree from The University of the Arts in 1987 where he studied with John Blake, Loren Munroe and Mihalay Virizlay, and continued his education in the Graduate program there. In 1989 he received a Philadelphia Music Foundation Award.