Department of Music

Cellist Adam Carter maintains an active career as a recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician, and teacher.  Recent engagements include recitals and chamber music performances at UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, the University of Virginia, Randolph College, Bridgewater College and Hampden-Sydney College.

Dr. Carter is currently the principal cellist of the Charlottesville Symphony and has performed with the Richmond Symphony, Madison Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Erie Philharmonic and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

A top prizewinner at the 1998 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Dr. Carter continues to enjoy a rich and diverse career playing chamber music.  He currently performs with the Rivanna String Quartet, Artemis Duo and the Virginia Sinfonietta.  A founding member of the Tarab Cello Ensemble, Dr. Carter traveled the country playing new works for cello octet. The ensemble’s accolades include grants from the Howard Hanson Institute for American Music for its accomplishments in the performance and creation of contemporary American music, the Foreman Institute for the Creative and Performing Arts and the Fromm Foundation. The Ensemble has recorded on Bridge Records and Albany Records.

As a teacher, Dr. Carter is on the faculty at the University of Virginia as Lecturer in Cello.  Prior to his appointment at U.Va, he was adjunct professor of cello and bass at Ripon College in Wisconsin.  Dr. Carter grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and attended high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He received his Bachelors degree and Masters degree with distinction from the Eastman School of Music, and completed his Doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His principal teachers include Steven Doane, Rosemary Elliot, Robert Marsh and Uri Vardi. 

Jeremy Thompson was born in Dipper Harbour, a small fishing village in New Brunswick, Canada.  He furthered his studies at McGill University in Montreal, studying with Marina Mdivani who was herself a student of Emil Gilels. Thompson was honored with two of Canada’s most prestigious doctoral fellowships to pursue his doctoral studies and in 2005, he earned a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance. During this time he performed with such orchestras as the Saint Petersburg State Academic Orchestra, the Saratov Philharmonic Orchestra, the Georgian National Orchestra, and the McGill Symphony Orchestra as well as appearing extensively in recital performances including a Debut Atlantic tour of Eastern Canada and three trips to the former Soviet Union.

Dr. Thompson has performed to universal acclaim in recital and concerto settings throughout North America.  Recent performances include concerto performances with the Charlottesville Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Symphony New Brunswick and the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra as well as recitals in Montreal, Philadelphia, Reading, Hamilton, Potsdam, Louisville, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. He regularly presents masterclasses and is a passionate teacher focusing on a relaxed and fluid technique and developing self-expression. He is also in high demand as a collaborative pianist. He is comfortable in music from all eras, yet specializes in highly virtuosic repertoire.

Dr. Thompson also studied organ performance with Dr. John Grew at McGill University and is currently a concertizing organist and the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA. 

Dr. Thompson has a personal interest in championing the works of Canada’s major composers such as Brian Cherney, Jose Evangelista, and Jean Papineau-Couture. He recently released a recording of Piano Music from Quebec on the McGill label.  Later this year he will release a recording of piano music by Scriabin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death as well as an organ recording to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Casavant organ Op. 3738 at First Presbyterian Church.