Nathaniel "Nick" Rosen (born June 9, 1948 in

Altadena, California Altadena () is an unincorporated area, and census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley and the Verdugos regions of Los Angeles County, California. Directly north of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, it is located approximately from Downtow ...

) is an American

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

, the gold medalist of the 1978

International Tchaikovsky Competition The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of ...

, and former faculty member at the

USC Thornton School of Music The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...

and the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

Early life

Rosen grew up in a musical household, his father being an amateur

violist The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the v ...

.''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''
"An Artist Finally Gets It on Record"
by Daniel Cariaga. Retrieved March 22, 2007. At the age of six, Rosen began studying with Eleonore Schoenfeld, professor of cello at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. At age 12, his teacher encouraged him to move on, first intending to study with Gabor Rejto; but, when it was announced that

Gregor Piatigorsky Gregor Piatigorsky (, ''Grigoriy Pavlovich Pyatigorskiy''; August 6, 1976) was a Russian-born American cello, cellist. Biography Early life Gregor Piatigorsky was born in Dnipro, Ekaterinoslav (now Dnipro, Ukraine) into a Jewish family. As a c ...

was joining USC, Rosen auditioned and was welcomed into his studio and the newly created Institute for Special Musical Studies at the age of 13. Growing up, he also studied chamber music with other renowned teachers who joined Piatigorsky and the institute including

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-American violinist, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Born in Vilnius, he was soon recognized as a child prodigy and was trained in the Russian classical violin styl ...

and

William Primrose William Primrose (23 August 19041 May 1982) was a Scottish violist and teacher. He performed with the London String Quartet from 1930 to 1935. He then joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra where he formed the Primrose Quartet. He performed in v ...

. He graduated from John Muir High School in the Class of 1965, and was active in the John Muir orchestra while in Grades 10, 11, and 12. He soon, however, began to branch out into the musical profession. While a student at the University of Southern California, he became a founding member and eventually principal cellist of the

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is an American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. LACO presents its Orchestral Series concerts at two venues, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA's Royce Hall. History James Arkatov, ...

. He also studied with Laurence Lesser. By age 22, the same year he graduated from USC, he had also become Piatigorsky's assistant — a post he maintained for five years. In 1977, at the age of 30, he became principal cellist of the

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...

as well, under

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

. INathaniel Rosen won the coveted

Naumburg Competition The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. Founded in 1925, it operates the prestigious Naumburg Competition. Foundation and concerts It was founded in 1925 by Wal ...

in 1977 for cello, and presented recitals in London and New York. In 1980, he was a soloist with the

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. ...

, in the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park (NY), summer series.

Tchaikovsky Competition

Although he was a finalist in the prestigious

in 1966 at the age of 17, he returned in 1978 to win the Gold Medal,Manhattan School of Musi
faculty biography
. Retrieved March 22, 2007. thrusting him into the forefront of the classical music circuit. It was however unlikely for an American candidate to win the competition, as the jury was mainly composed of Soviet cellists. The Russian cellist

Daniil Shafran Daniil Borisovich Shafran (, January 13, 1923February 7, 1997) was a Soviet Russian cellist. Biography Early years Daniil Shafran was born in Petrograd (later Leningrad, then Saint Petersburg) in 1923 to a Jewish family. Even from before his birt ...

was the one who influenced the jury. Rosen remained, thus, the only American cellist to take first prize at the competition until Zlatomir Fung achieved the same feat in 2019.XVI International Tchaikovsky Competitio

Retrieved June 27, 2019.

Today

He taught at the California State University, Northridge and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois for six years. He has been a member of the faculty at the

and also enjoys engagements with the

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is a Private college, private Catholic liberal arts college in Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1978, it emphasizes Classical education movement, classical education in the Catholic ...

in Merrimack,

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

and

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He has soloed, among other orchestras, with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

Czech Philharmonic The Czech Philharmonic () is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. Its principal performing venue is the Rudolfinum concert hall. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orche ...

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra The Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Dresden. Its principal concert venue is the '' Kulturpalast''. The orchestra also performs at the Kreuzkirche and the Frauenkirche Dresden. It receive ...

, and

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

. He has also played at numerous chamber festivals including the

Sitka Sitka (; ) is a unified city-borough in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was under Russian rule from 1799 to 1867. The city is situated on the west side of Baranof Island and the south half of Chichagof Island in the Al ...

, Park City, Manchester (VT) Music Festival and

Casals Festival The Casals Festival is a classical music event celebrated every year in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in honor of classical musician Pablo Casals. Background The festival was founded in 1956 by Pablo Casals. It was promoted by Teodoro Moscoso and Dav ...

s. Since 2011 he lives in Japan with his Japanese wife and daughters. In 2013 he has moved from

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243,541 h ...

to Yamanakako. His important and historical cello was crafted in 1738 by

Domenico Montagnana Domenico Montagnana (24 June 1686 – 6 March 1750) was an Italian master luthier based in Venice, Italy. He is regarded as one of the finest violin and cello makers of his time. His pieces, particularly his cellos, are sought after by orchestras, ...

, the "Mighty Venetian." One of the instrument's previous owners was Adrien-Francois Servais (1807–1866), the man who invented the endpin.

Discography

*''Nathaniel Rosen Plays Brahms'' with Doris Stevenson:

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

cello sonatas,

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

's "Song Without Words", and

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

's "Fantasy Pieces." *''Nathaniel Rosen In Concert'' performing Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations and the First Cello Concerto by Shostakovich. *''Complete works for cello and piano of Chopin'' with Doris Stevenson *''Complete works for cello and piano of Schumann'' with Doris Stevenson *''The Bach Gamba Sonatas'' with Anthony Newman *''The Six Suites for Solo Cello of J.S. Bach'' *''Orientale - Short Pieces such as Elfentanz'', Ritual Fire Dance, etc. *''Reverie - Romantic Short Pieces'' *''Music for a Glass Bead Game'' with Arturo Delmoni *''Sonatas of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff'' with Pavlina Dokovska *''

David Amram David Werner Amram III (born November 17, 1930) is an American composer, arranger, and conductor of orchestral, chamber, and choral works, many with jazz flavorings.

- Honor Song for Sitting Bull'' with the

Manhattan Chamber Orchestra The Manhattan Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. History The orchestra was founded in 1987 by Richard Auldon Clark, who remains the Artistic Director and conductor. The orchestra ...

*''Saint-Saëns Concerto Live with the Camerata New York'' *''The Gallant Troubadour'' with Robert White,

Samuel Sanders Samuel Sanders (June 27, 1937July 9, 1999) was an American classical collaborative pianist and pedagogue. He was born with a congenital heart condition that required him to undergo surgery at the age of nine. His first piano teacher was Hedwig K ...

, Mark Peskanov, and

Ransom Wilson Ransom Wilson (born 25 October 1951 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) is an American flutist, conductor, and educator. He currently is an Artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Le Train Bleu ensemble, ...

*''Jacques Ibert Concerto for Cello and Ten Wind Instruments'' with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra

References

External links

*
Interview with Rosen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosen, Nathaniel 1948 births American classical cellists Jewish classical musicians Living people American music educators Southern Methodist University people USC Thornton School of Music faculty Manhattan School of Music faculty Musicians from New York (state) Prize-winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition USC Thornton School of Music alumni