Victor Minke Huls, a cellist, conductor and pianist, joined The Florida Orchestra as associate principal cellist in the fall of 2023. Previously, Victor served as principal cellist of the Amarillo Symphony (2019-23) and was a cello fellow at the New World Symphony (2021-23). He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Peninsula Music Festival, Saint Augustine Music Festival, Lincoln Center Stage and Nu Deco Ensemble. In 2015 he was prominently featured in the NAXOS recording project at the National Orchestral Institute with David Alan Miller.        

 Victor completed his doctorate of musical arts degree in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University with Victor Yampolsky in 2022. At Northwestern, he was assistant conductor for the symphony and chamber orchestras, Bienen String Ensemble, Alice Millar Chapel Choir and Baroque Music Ensemble. He also premiered several student compositions and conducted the opera Dog Days by David T. Little with the Contemporary Music Ensemble. 

 In 2017 he earned dual master’s degrees from the University of Michigan in cello performance with Richard Aaron and orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler. During his four years conducting the Ann Arbor Camerata, he recorded an album with Nancy King titled IllumiNation: New American Concertos for Oboe. He was also chosen to conduct in a masterclass for Sir Simon Rattle. More recently, he has conducted multiple concerts, participated in workshops with Michael Tilson Thomas and assisted Matthias Pintscher at the New World Symphony.

 Victor enjoys teaching and has served as a coach/faculty member at many festivals and workshops, including El Sistema in Venezuela, Iberacademy in Medellín, Colombia, Prelude Chamber Music Camp (FL), the Walker Family Band Camp (NC) and the Trentino Music Festival in Italy. 

As a pianist, he loves playing chamber music and accompanying students. He is also a multi-instrumentalist by hobby, and plays a variety of other genres including Irish, old time, folk, rock, and jazz. Victor plays on a wonderful German cello made in the 1820s that he acquired from Seman Violins in Chicago.