Johann Sebastian Paetsch

• Name — Johann Sebastian Paetsch • Birth Name — Johann Sebastian Paetsch • Born — 11 April 1964 • Birthplace — Colorado Springs, CO, U.S. • Occupation — Concert cellist • Children — Raphaela Shauna Paetsch (b. born 1996) Valentina Serena Paetsch (b. born 1998) Dominic Günther Atsuki Paetsch (b. born 2001) • Parents — * Günther Johannes Paetsch (father) • Priscilla McClure Johnson Paetsch (mother) • Relatives — * Phebe Verena Paetsch (sister) • Michaela Modjeska Paetsch (sister) • Brigitte McClure Paetsch Gray (sister) • Christian Friedeman Paetsch (brother) • Engelbert Raphael Paetsch (brother) • Siegmund Amadeus Paetsch (brother) Johann Sebastian Paetsch (born in Colorado Springs, U.S. on April 11, 1964) is an American cellist and musician.

Paetsch began his cello studies with his father, Günther Paetsch (who was also a cellist), at the age of 5, and gave his first recital when he was 6 years old. His extensive experience in chamber music began early in childhood with his large and talented family of 9. His three sisters Phebe, Michaela and Brigitte and his three brothers Christian, Engelbert and Siegmund all learned string instruments. He learned and performed almost the entire chamber music repertoire for strings with his family The Paetsch Chamber Music Ensemble in many concerts throughout the U.S. • Illustration — Paetsch family in Colorado Springs in 1973

Paetsch studied at Butler University with the principal cellist of the Indianapolis Symphony, Arkady Orlovsky, where he received his bachelor's degree Cum Laude. He then furthered his cello studies at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut with the famous cellist and teacher Aldo Parisot, where he earned his Certificate of Music Degree and later his master's degree in Music. He then went on to study in Germany at the Musikhochschule Lübeck with David Geringas where he received his ‘Konzertexamen’. He has participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, Janos Starker, Bernard Greenhouse and Mischa Maisky. As a member of the Yale Cellists, he took part in the recording of two world-famous CDs.

• Illustration — Sister and brother Michaela and Johann Paetsch preparing the Brahms Double Concerto. As soloist, he has taken stage in many capitals of the world, performing concertos by Haydn, Dvořák, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and others. His performances and recordings of the Double Concerto (Brahms) in collaboration with sister and violinist Michaela Paetsch, have taken place in the US, Canada, Switzerland and in Germany. He has been featured soloist with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in performances and recordings of great pieces such as Boccherini, Camille Saint-Saëns, Kabalevsky and the two Haydn Concertos, as well as Don Quixote (Strauss) with conductor Alain Lombard. At Yale University Paetsch met his future wife: violinist Yoko Miyagawa and they married in Lugano, Switzerland in 1994, who is daughter of Tadatoshi Miyagawa, and fifth cousin of the predecessor Emperor of Japan, Akihito. Paetsch's first daughter Raphaela, born in Lugano in 1996, also plays the cello. His daughter Valentina, born in 1998 plays the violin and his son Dominic plays the cello. Raphaela, Valentina and Dominic have performed string quintets in public with their father and mother. Since 1992 Paetsch has served as First Solo Cellist of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. He also was founder of a piano trio called the Trio Ceresio, which has performed in Europe, Japan as well as Brazil.

The pioneer background of Johann Paetsch and the family on Priscilla's side extends back to the Mayflower as five ancestors including Governor William Bradford, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley came over to the New World on the English ship by that name in 1620 and the Paetsch children are direct descendants of several Mayflower Pilgrims. His family had been in North America for many generations. In fact, Johann Sebastian Paetsch is a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Governor William Bradford, who is his 9th great-grandfather. Five generations of this family have been connected with Colorado Springs.