A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Hunter Capoccioni has performed concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and Russia. At age sixteen, Mr. Capoccioni won the Lucy P. Weed String Competition in Yankton, South Dakota, and the same year was chosen as a finalist for the American String Teachers Association Competition in Kansas City. Mr. Capoccioni graduated with a bachelor and masters in music performance from Rice University where he studied with Paul Ellison. Other teachers include Diana Gannett, Gary Karr, and Fred Rees. Mr. Capoccioni has held positions as the principal bassist of the Norrlands Opera Orchestra in Umeå, Sweden, and the Norwegian Opera Orchestra in Oslo, Norway. Mr. Capoccioni is currently an adjunct instructor of double bass at the University of Northern Iowa and the Artistic Director of the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival which is in its third season.