Born in Hammond, Indiana to professional musicians, Aaron Rosand began studying the violin at the age of three-and-a-half. He made his first public appearances at the age of five and quickly became a celebrity, making his Chicago Symphony debut with Frederick Stock when he was ten years old.
Rosand represents an extraordinary legacy, both in his having studied with pupils of Ysaÿe (Leon Sametini) and of Leopold Auer (Efram Zimbalist), and in his playing of the famed 1741 ÂKochanski del Gesù violin. Harold Schoenberg of the New York Times has praised Aaron Rosand as Âone of the great living exponents of Romantic violin music. He is repeatedly compared to such legends as Heifetz, Milstein, Francescatti, Elman, Kreisler and Ysaÿe and has collaborated with some of the greatest conductors of our time, including Bernstein, Kubelik, Leinsdorf, Maazel, Reiner, Rostropovitch and Tennstedt. After making his debut with the Chicago Symphony, Aaron Rosand has since appeared with the orchestras of New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Houston, London, Paris, Munich, Tokyo, Rome, Vienna and Brussels, as well as the National Symphony, Bayerischer Rundfunk, BBC Wales, English Chamber Orchestra, Concertgebouw, and Halle Orchestra among many others. In May of 1997, Rosand made a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall, performing a recital which included works by Handel, Bruch, Bach, Stravinsky and Hubay and left his audience on their feet with excitement.
According to Gramophone Magazine, Aaron Rosand has made Âsome of the greatest recordings of this century. He records for Harmonia Mundi, Vox, Audiofon, and Biddulph and his discography encompasses the major violin works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chausson, Franck, Grieg, Handel, Kreisler, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Sarasate, Sibelius, Strauss, Ysaÿe and Walton. With the advent of the CD and the re-issue of more then twelve Rosand recordings, a resurgence of interest in this legendary ÂviolinistÂs violinist has prompted the release of eight new recordings, including sonatas by Franck, Brahms and Beethoven, as well as RosandÂs first recordings of the Beethoven and Brahms violin concertos and new interpretations of Bach.
Aaron Rosand holds the Starling Chair at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and lives in Connecticut with his wife, Monica Woo. He is a remarkable chef, a connoisseur of great cigars and a bonsai aficionado.
