Justin McCulloch
Biography
Justin has performed with the Sarasota Orchestra since 2008 and, in the past, was a regular addition with the Florida Orchestra, the Sarasota Opera, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Orlando Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and various other groups and ensembles throughout Florida and New York. Justin has taught several youth orchestras including the Sarasota Youth Orchestras, Flagler Youth Orchestra, Central Florida Youth Orchestra, and Young Artists Orchestra. He has been an adjunct faculty of Daytona State College and Bethune Cookman College and taught courses at the Eastman School of Music and the Eastman Community Music School. He has a doctorate in music and literature from the Eastman School of Music. In 2022, Justin became a financial advisor with Edward Jones, where he currently helps people and organizations achieve their financial and philanthropic goals.
Get to know Justin McCulloch
Hometown: Edgewater, FL
First year with Sarasota Orchestra: 2008
Instrument: Justin’s personal instrument is a Bavarian-style, flat-back bass of unknown age and maker. He has owned the instrument, nicknamed “Thor,” since college. Several years ago, Justin had the instrument converted into a removable neck bass to make the instrument easier to travel with.
Education: Bachelor of Music – Eastman School of Music; Master of Music – Duquesne University; Doctor of Musical Arts and Literature – Eastman School of Music with a Performers Certificate and a minor in arts leadership.
Career Highlights: In the fall of 2017, Justin won a concerto competition at Eastman, giving him the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra in the beautiful Kodak Hall. In October 2019, he was also featured as an Eastman Virtuosi Soloist on the NPR radio program Live from Hochstein based in Rochester, NY.
Passions and Interests: Justin is a father of four children and loves watching them grow. He enjoys watching rocket launches from his backyard with his family, supporting new local chamber of commerce businesses, and cooking Hispanic food with his Venezuelan wife. He has a shared passion for performing arts medicine with his wife and looks forward to building a senior music program in his local community. Justin is also fluent in Spanish.
