The Musicians
Patrick Bilanchone (Bass)
Member of the JSO: Since 1988
Hometown: Spartanburg, SC
Education: Interlochen Arts Academy, New England Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, and the Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory, where he studied with Anthony Knight of the Cleveland Orchestra. While in Cleveland, he performed with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra
Why the bass? Pat took up the bass in public elementary school, which offered a string program. “The Spartanburg High School Orchestra performed and gave demonstrations to fourth graders to recruit for the program. I believe I chose the bass along with advice from the string instructor,” said Pat. “We met twice a week in fifth and sixth grades. My mother swears that I chose the bass because my buddy down the street, Jason Lindsay, played bass. It just so happens that Jason and I are now playing together in the Jacksonville Symphony. Small world!”
Education: Interlochen Arts Academy, New England Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, and the Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory, where he studied with Anthony Knight of the Cleveland Orchestra. While in Cleveland, he performed with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra.
Performance: In the late 1990s Pat performed with the North Carolina Symphony's summer season located in the blue ridge mountains. Since 1994 he performs a few weeks each summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Teton Village, a part of Bridgers National Forest. He also spent a season performing duets with harpist Kayo Ishimaru for the JSO’s in-school ensemble programs.
Pets: A Shepard named Pico.
Carnegie Hall: Pat was invited with other young musicians for the Solti Orchestral Project at Carnegie Hall in 1994. “It was a very unique situation where Sir Georg Solti brought some of his favorite principal players from across the country to participate with the conservatory students.”
Favorite Composers: Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Stravinsky and Bach.
Hobbies and community involvement: Pat has helped promote string playing at Jacksonville’s magnet elementary schools. He has also refurbished his 81-year-old home in Five Points. When not holding a bow, or a hammer, Pat enjoys playing basketball, pumping iron, purchasing real estate and taking art classes.