Mr. Cono received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, followed by a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York where he studied violin privately with Erick Friedman (Heifetz’s protégé) and chamber music with Mischa Schneider (Budapest String Quartet), Lillian Fuchs, Ida Kavafian and Artur Balsam. Mr. Cono has played with the New York City Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the Radio City Symphony Music Hall Orchestra. He was also the Concertmaster of many Broadway hit shows, including On Your Toes, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and the original cast and orchestra of Phantom of the Opera.

Prior to relocating to the Bay Area in 2006, Mr. Cono performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, and the Atlanta Ballet, as well as various other ensembles in the Southeast. Mr. Cono was also Associate Concertmaster of Omaha Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of Omaha Opera. A California native, Mr. Cono has come full circle and is happy to be back in the Bay Area playing with Symphony San Jose, Oakland East Bay Symphony, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and Monterey Symphony, to name a few. He is also a Co-Founding member of the Nova Solisti Chamber Orchestra in San Jose.

Mr. Cono is also an avid motorcyclist. He has traveled and ridden most of the United States and Canada as well as Europe and the Balkans. He recently rode directly from San Jose to the Arctic Circle. His next trip is scheduled for New Zealand.