Chicago Musicians

David Caplan, Cello

David Caplan recently completed graduate studies at the University of Michigan, studying cello with Amir Eldan. Growing up in Skokie, Illinois, David has also studied with Daniel Mcdonough, Dmitry Kouzov, Jonathan Pegis, and Benjamin Whitcomb. David has served as co-principal cello of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and has performed frequently with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Grant Park Orchestra. David has also appeared live on WFMT as a recitalist for the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, and was recently featured as soloist in the Brahms Double Concerto with conductor Michael Stern. David is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has made appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Taos School of Music, National Repertory Orchestra, and Chautauqua Festival. As a fervent educator, David maintains a private studio in Chicago, and is a frequent clinician at Midwest Young Artists’ Conservatory and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Jackson Arnold, Cello

Jackson Arnold is a cellist and music educator newly based in Chicago, Illinois. He is pursuing a master's degree in music performance at DePaul University, where he studies with Dr. Melissa Kraut. In the summer of 2025, he served as the cello teaching assistant at the Brevard Summer Music Institute and finaled in the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition. Additionally, he has appeared as a substitute cellist with the Lexington Philharmonic and is on the substitute list for the New World Symphony. He holds dual bachelor's degrees in music education and music performance from the University of Kentucky, where he won the McCracken Scholarship for Performance in his area and finaled in the UKSO Concerto Competition. Former teachers include Benjamin Karp, Yoonie Choi-Reich, and Marsha Pendely. Jackson is proud to play a 2024 cello made on commission by his good friend Ben Mason of Mason Violins in Lexington, KY.