Award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, recognized with El Paso Inc. Community Spirit Award

EL PASO, Texas -- (KVIA) He's known the world around, but more importantly, Grammy-award winning Zuill Bailey makes no secret about calling the borderland home.

So much so, El Paso Inc. named Bailey the recipient of the 2022 Community Spirit Award. 

Listening to Bailey play, you get the sense this grammy-award winning cellist masterfully transforms the cello strings into heartstrings, stimulating the eardrum to reach the soul.

Bailey plays the best music on earth in different parts of the world.

Born in Virginia, he came to El Paso at age 29, but he makes it clear, El Paso is his home. 

By 2002, he was named the new artistic director of El Paso Pro-musica.

“This is where my people are. and I've seen the oasis happen here because of what the community has done together.”

Bailey spreads the love of music one event at a time, whether it's at school functions, retirement homes, the segundo barrio, or the neonatal intensive care unit at the El Paso Children’s Hospital. 

Bailey started playing at age four, performing by age 10.

His playgrounds were world stages with the likes of Itzhak Pearlman.

His albums top the classical charts.

Revered for his passionate playing, Bailey has won three grammys and he works tirelessly to spread his love for music, playing anywhere he can, promoting el paso pro-musica concerts.

“El Paso is a big city but a small community. and i want people to feel like they’re walking into their home in each of our events. So I welcome everyone.”

The maestro of the cello is now El Paso Inc’s recipient of the 2022 Community Spirit Award.