Gibson Swalley

Gibson Swalley grew up in Roseville, Minnesota. He began studying music at the age of 7 and started playing violin at age 9. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in 2022, and his Master of Music degree from Illinois State University in 2024.

At Luther College, he studied with violinist Igor Kalnin and performed internationally with Luther’s symphony orchestra, including at the Musikverein in Vienna. Gibson was the 2022 recipient of Luther College’s Richard C. and Joann M. Hemp Prize for Orchestral Performance. As a violin studio graduate assistant at Illinois State University, he taught young string players through ISU’s String Project program, a community music school, as well as undergraduate violin students. He also performed with ISU’s faculty string quartet. Currently, Gibson is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota under the instruction of Stephanie Arado.

Gibson has performed with such orchestras as Millikin-Decatur Symphony and Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and has also performed with chamber ensembles and pit orchestras. He has taught students of all ages and skill levels, coached chamber groups, and conducted student orchestras. Gibson loves sharing the joy of music with his students and is passionate about empowering young people to express themselves through music.