My Musical Story
Shelby Trevor is a violinist, composer, educator, and arts leader whose work spans classical, folk, experimental, and improvisation-driven music. Known for his versatility as both a performer and teacher, he has built a multifaceted career that bridges traditional classical performance, contemporary creativity, community engagement, and music education.
A native of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, Shelby began studying violin at age six at the Concord Community Music School, where he developed a strong foundation in classical, chamber, and folk music traditions. He continued his formal training at the Longy School of Music, earning an Undergraduate Diploma in Violin Performance and pursuing graduate studies in performance. His teachers include Laura Bossert, Charles Castleman, and Eric Rosenblith. He has also participated in masterclasses with renowned violin pedagogues and performers including Simon Fischer and Joseph Silverstein.
Alongside his classical studies, Shelby pursued traditional fiddle and folk music through programs such as the Swannanoa Gathering and the New Hampshire Scottish School of the Arts, earning recognition in regional fiddle competitions. These diverse influences continue to inform his artistic voice and teaching philosophy.
As a performer, Shelby has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, and collaborative artist throughout the United States. In his youth, he was featured as a soloist with the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra and performed a private recital for the President of the National Endowment for the Arts. Later appearances as a featured soloist include performances with the Suzuki School of Newton Faculty Orchestra, the Amelia Island Community String Orchestra, and First Coast Opera.
As an orchestral leader, he has served as Concertmaster of the Great Woods Chamber Orchestra, the Amelia Island Community String Orchestra, the Amelia Island Chamber Singers Orchestra, and as principal second violin for First Coast Opera Orchestra, leading ensembles in both educational and professional settings. He has also performed in the violin sections of ensembles including the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra, Longy Chamber Orchestra, WGBH Studio Orchestra, and numerous regional orchestras and chamber ensembles.
Shelby’s chamber music work has been a primary thread in his performance career. He is the co-founder of RamaLisa, a violin and hurdy-gurdy duo that seamlessly blends the elegance of chamber music with the raw energy of heavy metal, while also providing educational presentations on the history of the instruments on which they perform. He is co-founder of East Mill Outcry, a violin and piano duo which primarily produces new compositions and arrangements, as well as classical chamber music literature. Shelby and Daniel Padgett are also at the helm of Cosmic Collection Service, which creates improvisation-driven musical explorations. He is the founder of the Subtropical String Trio, a Florida-based chamber ensemble dedicated to collaborative performance and educational outreach. His chamber and interdisciplinary performances have included appearances with contemporary music organizations and concert series such as Composers in Red Sneakers, When Notes Fly, Spiral Songs, Advice to the Players, and the Embry-Riddle University Concert Series. Festival appearances include the Heifetz International Music Institute, Quartet Program, LyricaFest, and the InterHarmony International Music Festival.
In addition to his work as a performer, Shelby is an active composer and arranger whose music has been performed in concerts, workshops, and educational settings throughout the United States. His compositions have been featured by RamaLisa, East Mill Outcry, the Longy School of Music Composition Department, the Rossini Club Concert Series, and When Notes Fly concert series. His compositions have been performed, premiered, and programmed by professional musicians and chamber ensembles and have been featured in concerts, educational programs, and contemporary music events in the United States, including a feature in the Longy School of Music composition department workshop led by members of the internationally acclaimed Pacifica Quartet.
Shelby’s recording work includes professional studio projects with the Beantown Swing Orchestra, Berklee College of Music projects, and the WGBH Studio Orchestra. He is also featured as a collaborative artist on Noelle Beaudin’s new album ANIMAL. His recent studio session work includes a professional studio recording of J. S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major for solo violin. He has also recorded other independent projects, including original compositions for solo violin.
A passionate advocate for community music-making, Shelby founded and served as Artistic Director of the Amelia Island Community String Orchestra from 2015–2020. Under his leadership, the orchestra developed a unique model centered on mentorship, experiential learning, and artistic excellence, bringing together students, teachers, community members, and professional musicians. He also established the Amelia Island String Ensemble and Amelia Chamber Youth Orchestra, which later merged to form the community orchestra. His educational work further includes program development for the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival and Arts Alive Nassau, providing accessible string education opportunities to young musicians.
Today, Shelby serves as Artistic and Educational Director and Co-Founder of the Squam Ridge School of Music in Sandwich, New Hampshire. Through private instruction, ensembles, camps, workshops, and community performance opportunities, he is committed to building a vibrant musical culture that combines strong technical foundations, artistic exploration, collaboration, and lifelong engagement with music.
An active educator since 2009, Shelby has held faculty positions at the Suzuki School of Newton and Wheaton College and maintains a private teaching studio serving students of all ages and levels. His teaching integrates principles of body awareness, efficient movement, creativity, and artistic independence, helping students become confident and thoughtful musicians. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Lesley University, which further informs his approach to teaching, performance, collaboration, and composition.