Caleb Vaughn-Jones

With his unique blending of musical styles, cellist Caleb Vaughn-Jones’s playing style has been described by The Baltimore Sun as an “exploratory grasp of the cello with an anything-but-classical approach to the classical repertoire.”

Born in Charleston SC, Vaughn-Jones had his first exposure to classical music by attending performances by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.

During his teens, he was inspired by a wide range of musical styles. However, he grew increasingly interested in jazz and classical music during this time. 

In 2003, Vaughn-Jones went to study with Alan Stepansky at the Peabody Institute of Music where he was awarded the Steven Kates Memorial Scholarship. He later studied with David Cole. He studied chamber music with members of the Cleveland and Takács String Quartets, Pamela Frank, and Jerome Lowenthal. 

In 2010, Vaughn-Jones recorded as soloist with the Prague FILMharmonic for the Civilization V original soundtrack composed by Geoff Knorr.  

In 2011, Vaughn-Jones immigrated to South Africa to work with the Eastern Cape Philharmonic’s Music Investment Project, teaching music in townships. As a soloist, he appeared with the Free State Symphony Orchestra and Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.

While in South Africa, Vaughn-Jones produced several recordings for video games and film including Civilization V: Brave New World with the Nelson Mandela University Choir, Civilization VI, Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, and Bollywood film Mandharam.

From 2016-2020, Vaughn-Jones toured with United States-based ensemble Sphinx Virtuosi and performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Library of Congress.

Vaughn-Jones has had new music commissions for several organizations and ensembles such as Key to Change Studio (Seattle WA), Nelson Mandela University, Olympic Strings Workshop, and The Sprezzatura Harp Duo.

In 2020, Vaughn-Jones returned to the United States and now lives in Los Angeles. His film credits include Spiderman: No Way Home, Lion King, and Encanto. He has recorded with artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Adele.