Desmond Hoebig, cello, is professor of cello at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and has a distinguished career as a solo, orchestral, and chamber musician. Raised in Vancouver, he studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School. Mr. Hoebig won the first prize at the 1984 Munich International Competition and the grand prizes at both the 1980 Canadian Music Competition and the 1981 CBC Talent Competition. He was also an award winner at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1981. Mr. Hoebig has been a soloist with many prominent orchestras in North America, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. As a chamber musician, he was the cellist with the Orford String Quartet, winning a Juno Award for best classical album in 1990. He has also performed for thirty years with the Hoebig-Moroz Trio and in a duo with Andrew Tunis. Mr. Hoebig has taught and performed at festivals throughout North America, including Banff, La Jolla, Marlboro, Music Bridge, Orcas Island, Sarasota, Steamboat Springs, and the AMFS. Previously, Mr. Hoebig was principal cello with the symphony orchestras of Cleveland, Houston, and Cincinnati.