Jon Silpayamanant is a cellist, artist, and arts educator living in the Louisville metropolitan area. Born in Udon Thani, Thailand, Jon began playing the cello at the age of six and graduated with a degree in cello performance from DePauw University School of Music in 1996.
Jon regularly tours the US as a member of multi-Grammy award winner and Country Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Price, and his Cherokee Cowboys. In 2004 he co-founded Indianapolis based world music ensemble, il Troubadore, with Robert Bruce Scott. Jon also performs regularly with Louisville based Classical Arabic Ensemble, Ahel El Nagam. Other ensembles and projects include Indianapolis based experimental turntable and cello duet, T.E.C. (turntables, electronics, and cello); Indianapolis based Bollywood and Bhangra fusion cello/dance duo, Natyasastra, with Renee Gupta; solo experimental noise project, Noiseman433; and New Albany based Thai folk/pop duo, Yuwadee.
Jon is also active as a educator, lecturer, and cello coach. Since 2007 he has been coaching the cello section of the Floyd County Youth Symphony and is a music teacher with the Louisville franchise of Gymboree Play and Music teaching toddlers and pre-school aged children. Jon is also a regular lecturer, presenter, and workshop clinician in world music, the arts, immigration issues, and world music improvisation styles.
Jon’s past instructors in world music styles include, amongst a few: Srinivas Krishnan (Hindustani); Raquy Danziger (Middle Eastern percussion); George Wakim (Middle Eastern percussion); Hussam Al-Aydi (Arabic taqsim); Badal Roy (Indian and world music fusion); Carmine Guida (Middle Eastern percussion); Sally Childs-Helton (African drumming); Prince Julius Adeniya (West African dance and drumming).
Jon’s past instructors and masterclasses in cello and Western Classical Music include, amongst others: Eric Edberg (cello and improvisation); Susannah Onwood, Deborah Caruso, Julia Preston, Lawrence Zoernig, Megumi Okubo, Nancy Snustad (cello); Janos Starker, Fritz Maag, Eleanor Shoenfeld, Steven Kates, Owen Carmen, Steven Shumway (cello masterclass); Borromeo String Quartet, American String Quartet (chamber music masterclass); Gary Karr (general masterclass); Barry Green (orchestral masterclass);