Professor of Cello

3031 Bliss Hall
330/941-3640 (studio)
330/941-1490 (fax)
mdgelfand AT ysu DOT edu

Michael Gelfand received his Bachelor of Music degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and his Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music in cello and conducting.  He pursued doctoral studies in conducting at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and conducting at the Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conductors.

Michael Gelfand has studied cello with Marion Feldman (Manhattan School of Music), Janos Starker and Fritz Magg (Indiana University), Ronald Leonard (Eastman), Theo Salzman (Pittsburgh Symphony), William Stokking and Elsa Hilger (Philadelphia Orchestra), Harvey Shapiro (Juilliard), and Milhaly Virizlay (Baltimore Symphony).  He is principal cello of the Youngstown Symphony and Warren Philharmonic since 1975, and has been principal cellist of the New York All City Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony, Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, SC and Spoleto, Italy, and the Cleveland Pops.  He has been a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Paris Chamber Orchestra and Nice Philharmonic (France), and the Sofia Sinfonette (Bulgaria).

As a cellist, Michael Gelfand has performed recitals throughout the US as member of the AMICI DUO, and concertos with orchestras in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  Since 1979 he has been a member of the AMICI TRIO in residence at Youngstown State University, recently renamed the NEW AMICI TRIO.  Chamber music groups have included the Cazenovia String Quartet, Youngstown Symphony String Quartet, and the Youngstown Chamber Players.  He is a regular performer on the Chagrin Valley Chamber Music Series in Chagrin Falls, OH.

From 1980-1990 Gelfand was Director of Orchestras, Opera and Musical Theater Productions at the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University.  He was Music Director/Conductor of the Ashtabula Area Orchestra from 1992 – 2008.  In 2002 he was appointed Music Director/Conductor of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in residence at Thiel College in Greenville, PA.  The GSO season is filled with subscription concerts, pops, choral, children’s concerts, and ballet performances.  He has conducted the Youngstown Symphony and Warren Philharmonic in classical and ballet performances.  He has recently guest conducted in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, SD.  He has also recently guest conducted the Vidin State Philharmonic and Sofia Sinfonette in Bulgaria.

Michael Gelfand has taught and conducted at International Music Festivals and String Conferences from 1977 to the present at the University of Vermont, Penn State University, Immaculata College, Allegheny College, Bryn Mawr, West Chester State College, Lebanon Valley College, and Western Reserve Academy.  He has performed at many music festivals including Tanglewood (Boston Symphony), Blossom (Cleveland Orchestra), Riverbend (Cincinnati Symphony), Colorado Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Wolf Trap, Temple, and the Spoleto Festival (Charleston, SC, and Spoleto, Italy).

Michael Gelfand is a Board Member and Judge for the Irving Klein International String Competition held each June in San Francisco.  He is active as a guest soloist, conductor, coach, and adjudicator at many high schools, colleges and music festivals.  Michael Gelfand is Coordinator of the Dana Concert Series at YSU since 1990, which presents over 200 concerts each year.

 Michael Gelfand is a faculty member at the Dana School of Music of Youngstown State University since 1975.  He is recipient of the Youngstown State University Distinguished Professor Award, and the 1995 WYSU-FM Silver Jubilee Award For The Pursuit of Excellence in the Fine Art of Keeping Classical Music Accessible and Alive with the Ashtabula Area Orchestra.