Cellist Astrid Schween, is an internationally-recognized soloist and chamber musician. She was a member of the world-renowned Lark Quartet for twenty years and currently serves as professor of cello at the University of Massachusetts and the Hartt School of Music. She is a Valade Fellow and senior faculty member at the Interlochen Arts Center, a regularly featured artist at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Germany, and the Aria International Academy. With the Lark Quartet, she won the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the gold medal at Russia’s Shostakovich competition, appeared at some of the world’s prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Lincoln Center, Lockenhaus, Schleswig-Holstein, Mostly Mozart and Beethoven Festivals, commissioned dozens of new works and recorded numerous CDs for Arabesque, New World, CRI, Point and Decca/Argo labels. She has appeared at the Marlboro Music Festival, on tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and performs regularly with the Boston Chamber Music Society. She received her degrees at the Juilliard School, and studied with Leonard Rose, Harvey Shapiro, Bernard Greenhouse, and in London with Jacqueline DuPré and William Pleeth. Maintaining an active performance schedule, she tours regularly as a concerto soloist and in recital throughout the US and Scandinavia with duo partner Gary Hammond. Other recent collaborations include performances with composer Gordon Green and their 2010 commission, Music for Electric Cello and Electronics, which is receiving much critical acclaim, and a series of original collaborative works with choreographer Kim Neal Nofsinger. A CD recording for Arabesque Records was recently completed and is scheduled for release in 2012. Astrid Schween is represented by MCM Arts and Entertainment.

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Photo: Steve J. Sherman