Nathaniel Rosen
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Nathaniel "Nick" Rosen is an American cellist, former gold prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Altadena, California, Rosen grew up in a musical household, his father being an amateur violist[1]. At the age of six, Rosen began studying with Eleonore Schoenfeld, professor of cello at 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 the 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 that joined Piatigorsky and the institute including Jascha Heifetz and William Primrose[2].
He soon, however, began to branch into the musical profession. While a student at USC he became and founding member and eventually principal cellist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra[3]. 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[4].
[edit] 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 at the second-ever American gold prize winner (after pianist Van Cliburn) at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978 and during the Cold War[5]. He is still currently the only American cellist to take first prize at the compeition to date. The victory thrust him into the forefront of the classical music circuit.
[edit] Today
Although he taught at University of Illinois for six years, he has been a member of faculty for the Manhattan School of Music since 1981 and also enjoys engagements with 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, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He has also played at numerous chamber festivals including the Sitka, Park City, and Casals Festivals.
[edit] Records
- 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."
