Patrick O'Neil
Cello Faculty

Ever since the age of 5, Patrick O’Neil has found great joy and satisfaction in making music and sharing it with audiences and students all over the world. Patrick seeks to provide a balance of musical knowledge and musical expression by creating a fun and engaging dialogue between teacher and student. The Suzuki method is part of his pedagogical training and a foundation of his own personal training.  
 
Patrick was accepted at the age of 12 into the pre-college program at the University of South Carolina for cello where he studied with Dr. Robert Jesselson. He attended the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities for his high school education. After graduation he attended University of South Carolina, where he majored in Music Performance with a special focus on Music Pedagogy. During his studies he participated in various music festivals: Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival where he was invited to perform with the music faculty in one of the festival's featured public performances and the Saarburg Chamber Music Festival in Saarburg, Germany. His chamber group was chosen to perform throughout the Vermont area presenting  Schumann's Death and the Maiden as a part of the festival's outreach program. He also went on to win two titles in both high school and in college in the MTNA state wide Solo Strings Competition. Patrick has performed in masterclasses and private lesson settings for acclaimed cellists Matt Haimovitz, Edward Arron, Melissa Kraut, Irene Sharp, and the Juilliard Quartet.
 
Since moving to Asheville in 2018, Patrick has performed with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra during their regular season and for special concerts. With principal ASO members, he recorded the soundtrack for the movie The Wolf of Snow Hollow which was in the top five most-streamed horror/comedy soundtracks on iTunes. Patrick has also performed with such acclaimed artists as Dionne Warwick, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Rachel Barton Pine, as well as at music festivals across the country. His goal as a music teacher is to inspire and enlighten through musical study and performance - to provide a balance of musical knowledge and musical expression by creating a fun and engaging dialogue between teacher and student.