Jesse Thompson

Jesse Thompson is a third-year Violin Fellow at the New World Symphony. Originally from Williamsport, he has performed with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Wheeling Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony and Jacksonville Symphony. He has spent his summers attending music camps and festivals including New England Music Camp, Philadelphia International Music Festival, Sunflower Music Festival and Buzzards Bay Musicfest. During the 2022 Sunflower Music Festival, Jesse performed Blue/s Forms by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson at the Brown vs Board of Education historic school and landmark in Topeka. As a half black violinist, it will forever be one of the most meaningful performances and experiences of his life.

Jesse has performed in master classes with concertmasters David Kim and Noah Bendix-Balgley. One of the highlights during his time at New World Symphany was the opportunity to sit concertmaster under Leonidas Kavakos performing and conducting Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4, as well as soloists Alban Gerhardt and Davóne Tines. Jesse is extremely grateful to have been able to work with and perform under world class conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Stéphane Denève, Manfred Honeck, Xian Zhang and Rafael Payare amongst others at NWS.

Jesse studied with Charles and Rachel Stegeman at Duquesne University for eight and a half years, where he obtained his artist diploma, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in violin performance. Prior to attending Duquesne, he studied with Kenneth Sarch, former concertmaster of the Williamsport Symphony.

In his free time, Jesse enjoys learning Spanish, cooking, trying new restaurants, pickleball and relaxing on the beach.