Andrew Travers

Andrew Travers grew up in Sioux Falls and began studying music in the fifth grade following a performance of Jaws by a visiting orchestra recruiter. What followed, with the help of lessons, camps, and competitions, was a growing love of music, performance and teaching.

After a magical summer attending the Interlochen Arts Camp and auditioning into he World Youth Symphony Orchestra, he attended college at the University of Connecticut and studied cello performance with Mary Lou Rylands. After graduation he moved to Las Vegas, where he taught privately and in the CCSD, and played with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and in The Lion King.
Also during his time in Las Vegas, Andrew invested himself supporting Viola Fest and Bass Workshop, creating and running Cello Day, and teaching in the violin program FAYM.

In 2010, he returned home to Sioux Falls with his wife, Maria, who teaches Yoga and creates art. Maria and Andrew have two wonderful boys: Liam born in 2008 back in Las Vegas and Lysander, born in 2013 in Sioux Falls.  Andrew teaches private cello students, and orchestra at Sioux Falls schools: Ben Reifel Middle School, and Harvey Dunn and Rosa Parks Elementary Schools. He is also a section cellist in the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, their President of the SCSO Players Committee, and an occasional section sub for the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

Andrew has received his Suzuki training thus far at the Music Institute of Chicago at the Chicago Suzuki Institute in 2015 with Barbara Wampner for Book 1 following Every Child Can!; in 2016 again with Barbara Wampner for Books 2 and 3; in 2018 with Pamela Devenport for Books 4 and 5; and in 2021 with Shu-Yi Scott for Books 6 and 7 via Zoom. Mr. Travers also earned his Level One Endorsement in Rolland String Pedagogy Summer 2021.

This summer (2023) Mr. Travers directed the second year of Summer Youth Orchestra Camp in the Sioux Falls Community through Community Education in the SFSD.