He is a cellist from Illinois who began his lessons on the cello while at school and has been playing the cello since he was eight years old. He went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Roosevelt University’s Chicago Music College after being awarded a scholarship.
He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago where was presented with the Louis Sudler Foundation for the Musical Arts Award. He went on to serve as Assistant Principal Cello with the Grant Park Orchestra and in 1977 became Principal Cello with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
In 1981 he joined the Cleveland Orchestra and stayed with them until 1986 when he was invited to become a member of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Sir Georg Solti. Since that time he has been a guest soloist with other orchestras based in Canada and the United States and also performed with the Chicago Symphony String Quartet. In 1989 he became a member of the Pressenda Trio andalso holds the position of Principal Cello with the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra.
Recordings he has performed on include Chamber Music for Piano and Strings by Easley Blackwood, Sweet Sixteen by Jerry Butler, Carter/Berio/Takemitsu: Partita – Continuo – Visions, Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3, Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Arnold Schonberg: Verklarte Nacht Op. 4/Piano Pieces Op. 11 & 19/Five Orchestral Pieces Op. 16, Wagner: Overtures and Preludes by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Come On Up by Brian Culbertson, Music for Bassoon, Piano and Cello by Bruce Grainger, A Fresh Aire Christmas, Halloween and Yellowstone: The Music of Nature by Mannheim Steamroller and the soundtrack of Lincoln.
In the field of musical education he has been a faculty member of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, New Music School and Northwestern University.
Sources:
- https://cso.org/about/performers/cso-musicians/strings/cello/gary-stucka/
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/my-favorite-cso-gary-stucka/
- https://www.newmusicschool.com/advisory-board/gary-stucka/
- https://www.stokowski.org/Chicago_Symphony_Musicians_List.htm
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2329014-Gary-Stucka
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-stucka-mn0001726692/credits