Biography
- BA, philosophy, Univeristy of California, Los Angeles
- Master Class of Gregor Piatigorsky
“His intonation is irreproachable, his tone uncommonly pure, and he communicates with a musical sensitivity that demands and holds the attention,” said the Los Angeles Times about Jeffrey Solow whose impassioned and compelling cello playing has enthralled audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. His multi-faceted career embraces performances as recitalist, soloist with orchestra and chamber musician, as well as teaching, writing and lecturing on a variety of cellistic topics and arranging and editing music for the cello; two of his many recordings were nominated for Grammy Awards. His wide-ranging interests include scuba diving and underwater photography, protozoology and paleontology and he graduated with a degree in Philosophy magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA. These attainments as well as his knowledge in many fields outside of classical music give him an exceptional ability to communicate with audiences of all ages and all levels of musical sophistication, both musically and in personal interaction.
Solow's concerto appearances include performances of more than forty different works with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic (also at the Hollywood Bowl), Japan Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the American Symphony (with whom he also recorded). He has presented recitals throughout the US and in Europe, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico and Central and South America. For ten years he was a member of The Amadeus Trio and he has been guest artist at many national and international chamber music festivals.
Following private cello studies with Gabor Rejto in his native Los Angeles, Solow studied with and assisted the legendary Gregor Piatigorsky at USC. He went on to win the Young Musicians Foundation's first Gregor Piatigorsky Award and the Young Concert Artists Award and made his New York debut on the YCA series. He is president of The Violoncello Society, Inc. of NY, editor of their Newsletter and for three years was editor of the Cello Forum in American String Teacher magazine. A regular contributor to Strad magazine (London), Strings magazine, and American String Teacher, he has also been published in Seminars in Neurology and the book Current Research in Arts Medicine. The American String Teachers Association selected two of his articles for their publication of the top ten articles from "Cello Forum." A noted authority on healthy and efficient string playing, he is frequently invited to give lectures and presentations on the subject.
Recognized worldwide as an outstanding teacher, Solow has presented master classes throughout the United States as well as in Switzerland, Austria, Korea, Guatemala, Norway, France, Argentina, Canada, and at the conservatories in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanning, Sichuan, and WuHan in China and at the Chiang Kai-Shek National Library in Taiwan. A former faculty member of UCLA, California State University at Northridge, the University of Michigan and the Peabody Conservatory, for eight summers he taught cello and chamber music at the renowned Chautauqua Institution in New York State and was twice artist/teacher at the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Seminar for Cellists at USC. Solow is a past president of the American String Teachers and is president of the Violoncello Society, Inc. of New York, the nation’s second oldest cello society.
Works and Publications
Editions
Sonata No. 1, op. 45 by Felix Mendelssohn (concert edition by J. S.); Ovation Press (in preparation)
Six Duets for Two Cellos, op. 60 by Sebastian Lee, International Music Company, New York (2012)
Six Duets for Two Cellos, op. 156 by Friedrich Auguste Kummer, International Music Company, New York (2011)
Sonata in F by Carlo Tessarini; Latham Music (2010)
Intermezzo and Scherzo by Claude Debussy, Henle Urtext (2009)
“Kreutzer Sonata,” op. 47 by Beethoven, trans. Czerny-Solow; Ovation Press (2009)
Polonaise de Concert, op. 14 by David Popper, International Music Company, New York (2009)
Variations Concertantes, op. 17 by Felix Mendelssohn; (concert edition by J. S.) Ovation Press (2008)
Melodie, op. 42/3 by Tchaikowsky; International Music Company, New York (2008)
Siciliano, BWV 1017 by JS Bach; International Music Company, New York (2008)
Sweet Remembrance, op. 19, No. 1 by Felix Mendelssohn; (transcribed and edited by J.S.) Ovation Press (2007)
Scottish Fantasy, op. 71 by David Popper; International Music Company, New York (2007)
Nocturne, op. 19, no. 4 by Tchaikowsky; International Music Company, New York (2005)
Andante cantabile, op. 11 by Tchaikowsky; International Music Company, New York (2004)
Toccata capricciosa, op. 36 by Miklós Rózsa; Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig (1979)
Wind Song by Paul Chihara, C. F. Peters Corporation, NY (1972)