Joseph Silverstein (born March 21, 1932, Detroit) is an American violinist and conductor.
As a youth, Silverstein studied with his father, Bernard Silverstein, who was a public school music teacher. He later studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with Efrem Zimbalist, and also studied with William Primrose, and Mischa Mischakoff.
In 1962, Silverstein became concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for 22 years. He was appointed assistant conductor in 1971. He was music director of the Utah Symphony from 1983 to 1998. He served as acting music director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001 until the orchestra's demise in 2003. He was the artistic advisor to the Portland Symphony Orchestra in 2007-2008 season. He has served as a professor of violin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, following his position at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Since 1969, he has been a regular faculty artist at the Sarasota Music Festival.[1]
Silverstein performs on a 1742 Guarneri del Gesù.
| Preceded by Varujan Kojian |
Music Director, Utah Symphony Orchestra 1983–1998 |
Succeeded by Keith Lockhart |
| Preceded by James Judd |
Acting Music Director, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra 2001–2003 |
Succeeded by (no successor) |