Nathaniel Rosen

Nathaniel "Nick" Rosen (b. June 9, 1948 in Altadena, California) is an American cellist, former gold prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and former faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. ^[1]

Early life

Rosen grew up in a musical household, his father being an amateur violist.^[2] At the age of six, Rosen began studying with Eleonore Schoenfeld, professor of cello at the University of Southern California. 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 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 and William Primrose.^[3]

He soon, however, began to branch out into the musical profession. While a student at USC, he became a founding member and eventually principal cellist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.^[2] 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 as well, under André Previn.^[2]

Nathaniel Rosen won the coveted Naumberg Competition for cello, and presented recitals in London and New York.

Tchaikovsky Competition

Although he first entered the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966 at the age of 17 and actually was a prize winner, Rosen became only the second-ever American gold prize winner after pianist Van Cliburn at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978.^[1] He is still the only American cellist to take first prize at the competition. The victory thrust him into the forefront of the classical music circuit.

Today

He taught at the University of Illinois for six years. He has been a member of the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music ^[1] and also enjoys engagements with the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

He has soloed, among other orchestras, with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He has also played at numerous chamber festivals including the Sitka, Park City, Manchester (VT) Music Festival and Casals Festivals.

Since 2011 he lives in Matsuyama, Japan with his Japanese wife and daughters.

His important and historical cello was crafted in 1738 by Domenico Montagnana, 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' first and second cello sonatas, Felix Mendelssohn's "Song Without Words", and Robert Schumann'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 - Honor Song for Sitting Bull with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra
• Saint-Saëns Concerto Live with the Camerata New York
• The Gallant Troubadour with Robert White, Samuel Sanders, Mark Peskanov, and Ransom Wilson
• Jacques Ibert Concerto for Cello and Ten Wind Instruments with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra

References

External links

• Interview with Rosen