Latvian-born cellist Josef (Yosif) Feigelson enjoys a solo career spanning over three decades. He has been
praised for his marvelously singing tone, effortless technique, and sincere, enlightening interpretations.
As a child, Mr Feigelson was virtually surrounded by music: his father, an opera tenor, his mother, an
orchestra violinist. He began playing cello at the age of six, studying under Don Yaffe at the Darzin Music
School in Riga. After winning First Prize at the Concertino Prague International Competition (1970), he struck
the interest of legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and consequently became his pupil at the Moscow
Conservatory, continuing his studies with Natalia Gutman. Prizewinner of the prestigious Tchaikovsky
(Moscow 1974) and J.S.Bach (Leipzig 1976) international competitions, he toured throughout a former Soviet
Union and the Eastern Europe, appearing at major venues as the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory,
Dvorak Hall in Prague, and Musikbienale in Berlin.
Mr. Feigelson became an American in 1987 and made his widely publicized New York orchestral debut in
1988, when he stepped in on a short notice to substitute ailing violinist Nathan Milstein with the New York
Chamber Symphony. He has performed virtually at every major hall in New York City, as well as Symphony Hall
in Chicago, and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He was guest soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony,
Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Chicago Symphonietta, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony,
Charleston Symphony, and Knoxville Symphony among others. In 1990, he received the Avery Fisher Career
Grant given to outstanding instrumentalists.
In Europe, Mr. Feigelson has taken numerous tours of France and Germany. He took part in the
Schleswig-Holstein and Handelfestspiele festivals in Germany;Tuscany Festival in Italy, Musiktreffen in
St.Moritz, Switzerland; Bach Festival in Madeira, Portugal; Rostropovich and Summertime festivals in Latvia;
in addition to recitals and orchestral appearances in Austria, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Czech Republic,
Israel and the Baltic countries.
Mr. Feigelson has collaborated with some of the world's best known musicians as soprano Barbara Hendrix,
pianists Vladimir Feltsman and Bella Davidovich, violinist Oleh Krysa and violist Yuri Bashmet. He appeared
with conductors Neeme Jarvi, Gennady Rozhdestvennsky, Lukas Foss, Lawrence Foster, Gerard Schwarz, Andre
Raphel Smith, David Amram and Moshe Atzmon.
The cellist has appeared on TV and radio stations, including NPR's "Performance Today". His 1996
performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Detroit Symphony under Neeme Jarvi was recorded for
Eurobroadcast and heard on radio stations around the world. His recordings were released on Naxos, Panton,
Olympia, Essay and Melodiya labels. Known champion of unjustly overlooked music, Mr. Feigelson was first
cellist to perform and to record outstanding solo works by Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996).
Mr. Feigelson has also offered masterclasses for string players at the Aspen and Waterloo festivals, Rutgers
University, Chautauqua Institution, the Detroit Civic Orchestra and at many other venues across the United
States and in Europe. He is a Founder and Artistic Director of Kindred Spirits Arts Programs, Preludes of
Pont-Aven and The Stravinsky Circle .
praised for his marvelously singing tone, effortless technique, and sincere, enlightening interpretations.
As a child, Mr Feigelson was virtually surrounded by music: his father, an opera tenor, his mother, an
orchestra violinist. He began playing cello at the age of six, studying under Don Yaffe at the Darzin Music
School in Riga. After winning First Prize at the Concertino Prague International Competition (1970), he struck
the interest of legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and consequently became his pupil at the Moscow
Conservatory, continuing his studies with Natalia Gutman. Prizewinner of the prestigious Tchaikovsky
(Moscow 1974) and J.S.Bach (Leipzig 1976) international competitions, he toured throughout a former Soviet
Union and the Eastern Europe, appearing at major venues as the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory,
Dvorak Hall in Prague, and Musikbienale in Berlin.
Mr. Feigelson became an American in 1987 and made his widely publicized New York orchestral debut in
1988, when he stepped in on a short notice to substitute ailing violinist Nathan Milstein with the New York
Chamber Symphony. He has performed virtually at every major hall in New York City, as well as Symphony Hall
in Chicago, and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He was guest soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony,
Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Chicago Symphonietta, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony,
Charleston Symphony, and Knoxville Symphony among others. In 1990, he received the Avery Fisher Career
Grant given to outstanding instrumentalists.
In Europe, Mr. Feigelson has taken numerous tours of France and Germany. He took part in the
Schleswig-Holstein and Handelfestspiele festivals in Germany;Tuscany Festival in Italy, Musiktreffen in
St.Moritz, Switzerland; Bach Festival in Madeira, Portugal; Rostropovich and Summertime festivals in Latvia;
in addition to recitals and orchestral appearances in Austria, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Czech Republic,
Israel and the Baltic countries.
Mr. Feigelson has collaborated with some of the world's best known musicians as soprano Barbara Hendrix,
pianists Vladimir Feltsman and Bella Davidovich, violinist Oleh Krysa and violist Yuri Bashmet. He appeared
with conductors Neeme Jarvi, Gennady Rozhdestvennsky, Lukas Foss, Lawrence Foster, Gerard Schwarz, Andre
Raphel Smith, David Amram and Moshe Atzmon.
The cellist has appeared on TV and radio stations, including NPR's "Performance Today". His 1996
performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Detroit Symphony under Neeme Jarvi was recorded for
Eurobroadcast and heard on radio stations around the world. His recordings were released on Naxos, Panton,
Olympia, Essay and Melodiya labels. Known champion of unjustly overlooked music, Mr. Feigelson was first
cellist to perform and to record outstanding solo works by Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996).
Mr. Feigelson has also offered masterclasses for string players at the Aspen and Waterloo festivals, Rutgers
University, Chautauqua Institution, the Detroit Civic Orchestra and at many other venues across the United
States and in Europe. He is a Founder and Artistic Director of Kindred Spirits Arts Programs, Preludes of
Pont-Aven and The Stravinsky Circle .
JOSEF FEIGELSON: BIOGRAPHY
