Jesse Hawkins

1956 - 2021

Jesse Hawkins

Jesse Hawkins, superb violinist and master teacher, passed away on February 14. It is most appropriate that Jesse made his transition on Valentine's Day—a day dedicated to love—for no one had a deeper love for music and the violin than did Jesse—a love he communicated to the hundreds of students fortunate enough to come into contact with him.

Jesse was born on August 16, 1956 in Norfolk, Virginia. His musical gifts were recognized very early and he was featured in the "Gifted and Talented" program there, performing often throughout the area. At 14 he went off to the renowned North Carolina School for the Arts. During these high school years he performed at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto and Assisi. Upon early graduation he continued his Conservatory/college training at the New School in Philadelphia. While in Philadelphia, Jesse read quartets regularly with Booker Rowe and other members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and performed for several years with the virtuoso ensemble "The Concerto Soloists", touring and soloing both domestically and in Europe.

A Diversity Fellowship brought Jesse to the Indianapolis Symphony, but within one year he won a titled position as principal second violinist of the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, a position he held from 1987 to 2000. While there he also was violinist of the Philharmonic Piano Trio, faculty members as the resident ensemble of IU-Ft. Wayne.

For 10 years Jesse spent summers performing with the world-famous Santa Fe Opera. But he was not only a master of the classical orchestral and opera literature, but of many other styles—from Jazz to R and B to Commercial to Improv.

As first violinist of the White Oak Chamber Ensemble he performed on a long tour of Israel and Western Europe with Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project. He also appeared as guest concertmaster with several orchestras as varied as the Kalamazoo Symphony and the El Paso Opera. For the past 15 years Jesse was Associate Concertmaster of the Carmel Symphony. He was also a vital presence in some of the outstanding church orchestras in the area—particularly St. Luke's United Methodist and Tabernacle Presbyterian. In all three he was sometimes featured as a soloist.

For all of his greatness as a player, Jesse's most lasting legacy will be as a teacher. For many years Jesse was a pillar of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. In his position as a principal teacher with MYO he transformed the lives of hundreds of kids, many of them from the Inner City. His unquenchable love for the divine gift of music has been given to those kids and has enriched their lives, and those of their families forever. He has been the role model of all role models.

Jesse was actually "Junior", having been named for his father, Jesse Coolidge Hawkins, who passed away in 2013. He was the third of six siblings, the youngest of whom—Lori—passed away in 1993. He is survived by his mother, Claudine Arrington Hawkins, and his siblings Gerald, Linda, Claudius, and Kevin.

Services will be held at Broadway United Methodist Church, Thursday, March 11, from 10-12 am. Donations may be given to the Jesse Hawkins Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.