The Colorado Symphony is thrilled to welcome three new musicians to the ensemble for the 2025/26 Season. Joining the orchestra are Jesse Fischer (Section Bass), Sumin Cheong (Section Viola), and Paul van der Sloot (Section Cello).
Sumin Cheong, Section Viola
Violist Sumin Cheong joined the Colorado Symphony in the 2025/26 season. Sumin Cheong completed her Artist Diploma and Master’s degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Li-Kuo Chang and Stephen Wyrczynski. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University in South Korea, under Eunsik Choi. She has received top distinctions in renowned competitions, including the American Viola Society Festival Orchestral Audition Competition, the 58th Annual National Society of Arts and Letters Instrumental Competition, Jacobs School of Music Viola Concerto Competition, and the Strad Competition. She has also been invited to perform in master classes with distinguished artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Steven Tenenbom, Angelo Yu, Jung-jin Chang, and Aviram Reichert. Her artistic development has been further supported through fellowships at prestigious music festivals including the Music Academy of the West, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and the Tanglewood Music Festival.
Paul van der Sloot, Section Cello
Cellist Paul van der Sloot joined the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2025.
Paul has received top prizes in numerous major competitions, including the Johansen International Competition, the Canadian Music Competition, the Shean Strings Competition, the Morningside Music Bridge Concerto and Chamber Competitions, the National Music Festival of Canada, and the Rose Bowl grand prize at Calgary’s Kiwanis Festival. He has performed as a soloist on multiple occasions with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary Civic Symphony.
As an orchestral musician, Paul has served as principal cellist with the Ontario Philharmonic and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, performing under the direction of conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Earl Lee, Joshua Weilerstein, and Johannes Debus.
He holds degrees and diplomas from the University of Calgary, The Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and the Mount Royal University Conservatory. His principal mentors include Hans Jørgen Jensen, Andrés Díaz, Joseph Johnson, Paul Katz, and John Kadz. He is grateful to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for their generous support throughout his studies.
A dedicated educator, Paul has taught cello since high school. He has appeared as a guest artist-in-residence at the Mount Royal University Conservatory’s Academy and Advanced Performance Programs, as well as at the Royal Conservatory’s Taylor Academy and Oscar Peterson School. Paul holds an ARCT in String Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music and is certified in the Suzuki Method.
Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Paul is an avid outdoorsman who has climbed, skied, and hiked over 400 unique mountain summits in the Canadian Rockies. He is currently pursuing Colorado’s “Fourteeners” list and spends the majority of his free time seeking adventure in the mountains.
Jesse Fischer, Section Bass
Jesse Fischer, from Longmont, Colorado, formerly served as Principal Bass of the Oregon Symphony and has been a member of the Colorado Symphony since 2025. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Paul Ellison, and previously studied with Paul Erhard at the University of Colorado Boulder. Jesse has performed with several renowned orchestras, including the Oregon Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Philadelphia Orchestra, and is a former member of the Boulder Philharmonic. In 2019, he earned 2nd prize and won the award for “Best Performance of the Commissioned Piece” at the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition. He is fortunate to perform on a fine Italian bass made circa 1835 in Genoa by Ludovico Rastelli.