Adrienne Banks, Cellist
About Adrienne
Adrienne began her musical journey on cello at age 9. As a professional musician, Adrienne has played for hundreds of live events, as well as collaborated with various artists on recording projects. Primarily based in Texas and Chicagoland, Adrienne has traveled around the United States and Europe to perform, including orchestral and chamber music tours throughout France, Germany, and Bulgaria.
Adrienne has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with several notable touring artists, including Grammy award-winning composer Kitt Wakeley, country singers Wynonna Judd and Ashley McBryde, and Motown legend Smokey Robinson. She has performed for television shows and commercials that have appeared on CBS, Lifetime, and Prime Video. She performs with the Sienna String Quartet based in Austin, TX, as a substitute cellist with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, and as a faculty member of the Civic Orchestra of Abilene, with which she has appeared as a soloist.
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Adrienne has a special interest in collaborating with theatre artists, having provided music for numerous musicals, operas, and plays, including as the company cellist for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in 2014. She performed under the direction of Emmy- and Tony award-winning composer and orchestrator Larry Hochman for the 2017 premiere run of his new musical, A Perfect Life.
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Adrienne serves on the faculty at Abilene Christian University and Hardin-Simmons University teaching cello lessons and string quartet, and maintains a private studio for middle and high school students. She is also a Board-Certified Music Therapist with a passion for working with grief and trauma. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy and Music Performance from Illinois State University, where she studied cello under Adriana La Rosa Ransom. She also holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Austin which heavily informs her work as a music therapist.