Brief Biography
Heralded as a "sterling cellist" by the Washington Post, STEVEN HONIGBERG has emerged as one of the outstanding cellists of his generation. Mr. Honigberg gave his New York debut recital in Weill Hall and has since performed and recorded to critical acclaim. A member of the National Symphony Orchestra, he has been featured numerous times as soloist with that ensemble; Most recently November 2008 in a performance at the Kennedy Center of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Cello Concerto. He won rave reviews for the 1988 world premiere of David Ott's Concerto for Two Cellos performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich (who hired Mr. Honigberg in 1984), with repeat performances on the NSO's 1989 and 1994 United States tours. Mr. Honigberg is noted for his explorations of important new works, such as Lukas Foss' Anne Frank (1999), Benjamin Lees Night Spectres (1999), Robert Stern's Hazkarah (1998), Robert Starer's Song of Solitude (1995) and David Diamond's Concert Piece (1993), written for and premiered by Mr. Honigberg.
Mr. Honigberg graduated from the Juilliard School of Music with a Master's degree in Music, where he studied with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins. Other important cello teachers included Pierre Fournier and Karl Fruh.
Published in 2010 by Beckham Books, Mr. Honigberg is author of LEONARD ROSE: AMERICA’S GOLDEN AGE and ITS FIRST CELLIST. As a protégé in Rose’s final years, Honigberg retains the wealth of knowledge his subject imparted to students, as well as an abiding sympathy for the man. That intimate relationship of the past provided unparalleled access to Rose’s living colleagues and classes, from his best known pupils, Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell and Ronald Leonard, to internationally acclaimed stars with whom the pedagogue collaborated, such as Van Cliburn, Lorin Maazel, Emanuel Ax, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and more.
From 1994-2002, Honigberg served as chamber music series director at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where a primary duty required writing of some 40 overviews on the gamut of topics at the intersection of music and the Holocaust. Mr. Honigberg is a member of the Washington DC based Potomac String Quartet, which has released landmark projects -- the complete string quartets (eleven – 4 CDs) of David Diamond and Quincy Porter (nine – 2 CDs). Mr. Honigberg also has recorded Homage to Rostropovich, a CD of solo cello works written for the great late cellist (the author’s essay “Homage to Slava,” accompanied the eponymous CD, appears in print and on the web), Frédéric Chopin’s complete works for cello and piano; Ernst Toch's cello compositions; Ludwig van Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano; an album of 20th century American cello works; the chamber music of Korngold; and recordings of music performed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -- four volumes of Darkness & Light.
From 1990-2009 Honigberg was principal cellist, chamber music director of the Edgar M. Bronfman series in Sun Valley, Idaho where he was featured as soloist with the summer symphony in concerti by Barber, Bartók, Bloch, Boccherini, Dvořák, Elgar, Goldschmidt, Haydn, Korngold, Popper, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Walton.
Performances in the 2009-2010 season included guest appearances with the Kennedy Center Chamber Players at the Terrace Theater, music of Jack Gottlieb at the Library of Congress, Poulenc Trio at the National Gallery of Art, Verge Ensemble at the Corcoran Gallery, and the Washington Chorus at the Atlas Arts Center. In addition Mr. Honigberg performed a Bach Suite program at Dumbarton Concert Series. In May 2008 Mr. Honigberg performed at Merkin Hall in New York City, and in March 2008 WFMT Chicago radio broadcast featuring the music of Kodály, Rachmaninoff and Schumann.