A modern player with a “signature sound” and distinctive style of playing, cellist Mark Kosower embodies the concept of the complete musician performing as concerto soloist with symphony orchestras, in solo recitals, and as a much admired and sought-after chamber musician. He is Principal Cello of The Cleveland Orchestra and a scholar and teacher of cello. Mark’s performance repertoire and discography are testaments to a deep devotion, not only to frequently heard repertoire such as Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and concertos of Haydn, Walton, Elgar and Dvořák but, significantly, to less well-known concertos of Alberto Ginastera, Miklos Rozsa, Frederich Gulda and Victor Herbert. Mr. Kosower has recorded for the Ambitus, Delos, Naxos International and VAI labels, including as the first cellist to record the complete music for solo cello of Alberto Ginastera (Naxos). He was described as a “powerful advocate of Ginastera’s art” by MusicWeb International, and Strings Magazine noted of his Hungarian music album (also with Naxos) that “the music allows Kosower to showcase his stunning virtuosity, passionate intensity, and elegant phrasing.”
During the current and past seasons Mr. Kosower performs Dutilleux’s “Tout un monde lointain” and the Walton Concerto with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Dvorak Concerto with the Pasadena and Costa Rica symphony orchestras, the Ginastera Concerto No. 2 with the Puerto Rico Symphony, the premiere of Dan Perttu’s “Guises of Love” for Cello and Orchestra and the Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with the Canton Symphony, and the Gulda Concerto with the Columbus Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra among many other concerto appearances. Chamber music performances include the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Northwest, the Vivace Foundation, and the Taipei Music Academy and Festival with artists such as James Ehnes, Vadim Gluzman, Paul Huang, Tessa Lark, Yura Lee, Max Levinson, Marc-André Hamelin, and Gilles Vonsattel.
Mr. Kosower has appeared as soloist on five continents including performances with the Orchestre de Paris, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and in the United States with the symphony orchestras of Detroit, Florida, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Oregon, Seattle, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra in addition to twenty-seven concerto performances with The Cleveland Orchestra. He has collaborated as soloist with Herbert Blomstedt, Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Gustavo Gimeno, and Franz Welser-Möst. Recital appearances include the Kennedy Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the National Gallery of Art, and the Great Performer’s Series at Lincoln Center.
An Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Mark Kosower is a frequent guest at international chamber music festivals and has appeared at the Aspen, Eastern, Santa Fe, North Shore, and Pacific (of Japan) music festivals in addition to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Seattle Chamber Music Society. His chamber music appearances have included performances with Yefim Bronfman, James Ehnes, Leon Fleisher, Vadim Gluzman, Robert Mann, Janos Starker, Schmuel Ashkenasi, Jorg Widmann, and the Juilliard String Quartet.
