Masumi per rostad biography of george michael

Praised for his “burnished sound” (The New York Times) and described as an “electrifying, poetic, and sensitive musician,” the GRAMMY Award-winning, Japanese-Norwegian violist Masumi Per Rostad hails from the gritty East Village of New York City. He was raised in an artist loft converted from a garage with a 1957 Chevy Belair as the remnant centerpiece in their living room. Masumi began his studies at the nearby Third Street Music School Settlement at age three and has gone on to become one of the most in demand soloists, chamber musicians, teachers. In addition to maintaining an active performance schedule, he serves on the faculty of the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. 

2023-24 Season highlights are concerto performances with LA Chamber Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, The Knights, and festival appearances including La Jolla SummerFest, Beare’s Premiere Performances Hong Kong, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, SpoletoUSA, and Music In the Vineyards. Masumi recently commissioned his childhood friend Jessie Montgomery to compose a Viola Concerto based on the experience they shared of growing up in NYC. He has previously appeared as soloist with the Virginia Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, and Sinfonia da Camera among others.

Masumi regularly tours internationally and has performed at many of the most prominent festivals, including Marlboro, Spoleto USA, Music@Menlo, Caramoor, Music in the Vineyards, Bowdoin, and the Aspen Music Festival. His guest violist collaborations include programs with the St Lawrence, Ying, Pavel Haas, Miró, Calidore, Verona, Rolston, and Emerson String Quartets, as well as with the Horszowski, Gryphon, and Claremont Trios. He toured and recorded extensively as a former member of the International Sejong Soloists. He can be heard on the Cedille Records, Naxos, Hyperion, Musical Observations, Bridge, and Tzadik record labels. 

As a member of the Pacifica Q

Elliott Forrest: Live from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. I'm Elliott Forrest from WQXR 105.9 FM, New York's classical music station. We're so happy to bring you this concert tonight from Central Park with the chamber ensemble the Knights.

So great to have this live audience. We weren't sure about the weather. We're gonna really power through. WQXR has been proud to bring these concerts for several years now. And this summer we're celebrating a hundredth anniversary of this beautiful historic Naumburg Bandshell.

When the Bandshell opened in, uh, 1923, Elkan Naumburg presented it to the city of New York and its music lovers, as it says. And we're thrilled to be able to share this performance live on the radio with the city of New York, as well as people around the world. Tonight's concert features the Knights, a chamber group born out of musical camaraderie, and as we've been told, late night sight reading parties and they've been a part of the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts for 14 seasons now.

On the program, uh, there are premieres by three New York composers. And here to tell us a little bit more about the world premier that we're gonna start our concert with, please welcome Associate Conductor Michael Atkinson.

Michael Atkinson: Thank you Elliott. Um, if you've been to our concerts before, our normal conductor, uh, brother and musical colleague Eric Jacobsen, had to withdraw from this performance from illness. We wish him well. He's doing fine. We'll see him again soon. So I have stepped in as of this morning to take care of, uh, presenting this concert for you all.

Um, I just wanna say a few words about the first piece on the program, which is called Bethesda Bliss by Colin Jacobsen. And, um, really, we've played, as Elliott said, 14 years here at the beautiful bandshell, and for as long as I've been a member of the Knights, it's a highlight of every season to come here to play for an incred

The Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester has announced the appointment of Masumi Per Rostad, a violist who has forged a career both as a soloist and as a member of the Pacifica Quartet, to the faculty in the Strings, Harp and Guitar Department.

The Grammy Award-winning Rostad has received praise for his rich and expressive tone, energy, and commanding presence, and has been described by critics as an “electrifying, poetic and sensitive musician.” In addition to performing, Rostad teaches and has contributed to online and print publications.

Jamal Rossi, the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music, stated, “Masumi Rostad is a superb performing artist who is also a deeply committed teacher.  He has forged a career built on a foundation of artistic excellence coupled with entrepreneurial savvy. We are thrilled that he will build upon the legacy of exceptional string teaching here at Eastman.”

“I am humbled and thrilled to join the faculty of the Eastman School of Music. It is a great honor to be included on such a prestigious roster of world-renowned musicians who have shaped and will continue to shape the music world immeasurably with their guidance and artistry,” said Rostad. “I am very excited and eager to begin musical collaborations with my new esteemed colleagues and talented students at the Eastman School of Music.”

Rostad started studying music, initially on the violin, at the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City when he was 3 years old. He discovered the viola when he was 12 years old and four years later, attracted to the instrument’s warm and mellow sound, devoted himself to the viola.

As a member of the Pacifica Quartet, which he joined in 2001, Masumi has performed and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2009, the quartet received a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance and was named Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year. Other honors includ