Allison Drenkow
Allison Drenkow is the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Charlotte Symphony, appointed in 2023. Originally from Colorado, Allison moved to Charlotte from her home state where she was a section cellist of the Colorado Symphony for over four seasons. Some of Allison’s most treasured musical memories of recent years include performing chamber music with Roberto Díaz, playing under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg during its opening season, and joining members of the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and more in a tour de force Carnegie Hall concert supporting Music for Life International. Cherishing the versatility of music-making, Allison has performed across genres, sharing the stage with soloists from Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Axe, and Renée Fleming, to bluegrass-rooted artists, Béla Fleck and Chris Thile, to mainstream icons, OneRepublic, Brandi Carlile, and Kristin Chenoweth. Allison is a returning member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra and has spent summers performing with the Colorado Music Festival, Britt Festival in Oregon, and Torrey Chamber Music Festival in Utah. Previously based in Boston, she is the former cellist of the contemporary ensemble, ‘Semiosis Quartet’. Collaborating with and showcasing music by living composers, the group was featured at the National New Music Gathering and presented by Tanglewood’s Linde Center in its inaugural Chamber Music Series. During that time, Allison also performed along the East Coast in the Cape Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Hartford Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, and New World Symphony. Allison has held principal positions with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival in Japan, and National Festival Orchestra (USA), and has performed internationally at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany and Banff Centre in Canada. She holds degrees from New England Conservatory and Peabody Conservatory as a student of Natasha Brofsky and Alan Stepansky.
