Maestri 2012
Kirshbaum, Ralph
In the summer of 2010, Ralph Kirshbaum returned to the Santa Fe and Music@Menlo Festivals in the USA, and made his debut with the China National Symphony Orchestra in Beijing, performing the Dvorák Concerto. The upcoming season includes appearances in California, New York, Texas, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In honor of the legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, Ralph Kirshbaum will lead as Artistic Director the inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, to be held in Los Angeles in March 2012. He founded the RNCM Manchester International Cello Festival in 1988, and remained its Artistic Director through to its grand finale in 2007.
Ralph Kirshbaum has been on the faculty of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England for 35 years, and in 2008 accepted the Gregor Piatigorsky Endowed Chair in Violoncello at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. While concluding his class in Manchester in 2010, Ralph will retain his position as the RNCM's International Chair of Cello. He continues his annual association with the International Musician's Seminar Prussia Cove and the London Master Classes, as well as an active schedule of master class commitments throughout the world.
His many recordings have included Tippett's Triple Concerto for Philips, the Elgar and Walton Concertos for Chandos, the Ravel, Shostakovich and Brahms Trios for EMI and the complete Bach Suites for solo cello and Barber Concerto and Sonata for EMI/Virgin Classics.