Bonnie Hampton

Cellist Bonnie Hampton has shaped American chamber music through a career as a performer, teacher, and advocate for contemporary repertoire. A founding member of the Francesco Trio, winner of the 1974 Naumburg Chamber Music Award, she also maintained a longstanding duo partnership with pianist Nathan Schwartz.

Following her solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony, Hampton appeared with orchestras across the United States in both the standard cello repertoire and twentieth-century concertos. Her chamber music collaborations have included the Juilliard, Guarneri, Cleveland, Mendelssohn, and Budapest quartets, with performances at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, and major venues in Europe and Asia. The Francesco Trio and Hampton–Schwartz Duo commissioned, premiered, and recorded music by American composers.

Hampton’s association with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music spans more than seven decades. She served on its cello faculty from 1973 to 2003, helped establish its graduate chamber music program, and subsequently returned to its chamber music faculty. She also taught at Juilliard, Mills College, and the University of California, Berkeley, and served as president of Chamber Music America.

A student of Pablo Casals, Hampton participated for many years in the Casals and Marlboro festivals. Her earlier teachers included Margaret Rowell and Zara Nelsova, and she studied with the Griller Quartet. Her honors include SFCM’s Excellence in Teaching Award, an honorary doctorate, and the Distinguished Alumni Award.