Fred Jewell

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Fred Jewell received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1987 and continued studies toward a Master of Music Education. Fred began his teaching career as a Suzuki Talent Education violin teacher in 1980 in El Paso. He later expanded his teaching to include violin instruction at the El Paso Hebrew Day School teaching the entire student body of ninety-five students ranging from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade and later as the Orchestra Director at H. E. Charles Middle School in the El Paso Independent School District. He studied violin for ten years with Abraham Chavez, Jr. and conducting with Maestro Chavez and Dr. Ron Hufstader at UTEP. Fred maintained a private Suzuki violin studio in El Paso and later in Boulder, Colorado for over two decades. Fred has been a resident of Colorado since 1994. Fred retired from classroom teaching in June 2022 after twenty-eight years in Boulder Valley School District, two years at H. E. Charles Middle School, and five years at the El Paso Hebrew Day School. Several of his former students in Texas and in Colorado have gone on to pursue professional teaching careers as Suzuki, private, public school and university music teachers and as professional performers. Fred reopened his private studio in Thornton, CO in June 2022.

In El Paso, Fred performed with the El Paso Symphony for fifteen seasons. He was also a member of the Viva! El Paso Outdoor Musical Drama for two seasons, a performer and member of the Board of Directors for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of El Paso, Inc. for twelve years and a violinist with El Paso Pro Musica for four seasons. He also performed with the El Paso Early Music Consort playing violin, vielle, and percussion and as a vocalist. In Colorado, he substituted as a violinist with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra for two seasons between 1994 and 1996. In 2003 Fred was hired as Concertmaster for the Denver Pops Orchestra under the direction of Zina Richardson and performed with DPO until May of 2009. Fred now performs with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra as Asst. Principal Viola under the direction of Dr. Elliot Moore.

From 1999 until 2016, Fred served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Chapter of the American String Teachers’ Association as the String Vibrations Newsletter Editor. He returned to a Colorado ASTA Board serving as one of two Denver area Representatives for two years. Fred has also served as Northern Governor for Colorado All-State Orchestra Board of Governors. Fred has been nominated twice for the Colorado ASTA, Inc. Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Fred was most recently honored with the 2012 Colorado ASTA, Inc. Exemplary High School Teacher Award.

Fred has done extensive work with the Board of Directors of the Trouble Clef Theatre Company, a fully professional theatre company based in Boulder. TCTC produced several shows in the Greater Denver Metro area for over six seasons specializing in shows by Stephen Sondheim. Fred is also a founding member of the Eagle String Quartet affiliated with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder.

As a student of Dr. Joseph Packales, Fred is a free-lance composer of string, keyboard and vocal music. Fred has seen his works performed in public and private settings by ensembles such as the Ars Nova Singers, the Eagle String Quartet, several Colorado school orchestras, and many individual professional musicians.