Michael Katz, Cello

Biography

Israeli cellist Michael Katz has appeared as a soloist and as a chamber musician in various concerts and festivals in North America, Europe and Israel. He has performed at the Orford, the Kfar Bloom, the Sarasota, and the Gustav Mahler Festivals. He also presented recitals in Bergen, Netherlands at the Ruinkerk, in Tel Aviv at the Felicia Blumenthal Hall, in Boston at New England Conservatory and at the Juilliard School in New York. Winner of 2010 Juilliard concerto competition, Mr. Katz has performed the Dvorak cello concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by James DePriest. Mr. Katz also performed concertos by Schumann, Haydn and Shostakovich with various orchestras in America, Europe and Israel. A recipient of the Israel America Cultural Foundation scholarships, Mr. Katz also won first prizes in the Turjeman Competition and the Israeli Conservatory Scholarship.

An avid chamber musician, Mr. Katz has collaborated and performed with musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Laurence Lesser, Donald Weilerstein, Charles Neidich, Paul Biss, Yehudi Wyner and Zvi Plesser. Mr. Katz participated in chamber music festivals such as the Steans Institue for Young Artists and the Perlman Music Program.

Born in Tel-Aviv Israel, Mr. Katz began his cello studies at age 7. Among his teachers in Israel were Zvi Plesser, Hillel Zori and the late Mikhail Khomitzer. Mr. Katz received his Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Laurence Lesser and finished with academic honors. He is currently a student of Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School, where he is pursuing a Master of Music degree.

Michael Katz performs on the 1719 "Duke of Marlborough" Stradivarius on a generous loan from the Juilliard Rare Instrument Collection.