about us
Russell Rolen
A founding member of the Spektral Quartet, Russell Rolen has performed solo recitals and chamber music throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He performs regularly in the Chicago area and around the Midwest, has appeared on the PianoForte Salon Series on Chicago’s WFMT and the Embassy Series in Washington, D.C. He has collaborated with artists such as Ilya Kaler, Rachel Barton-Pine, fiddler Mark O’Connor, Christopher Taylor, and Anner Bylsma. Festival appearances include the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Musicorda Festival, and the Summer Festival at Lenk, Switzerland.
Russell is a member of Ensemble Dal Niente and an avid promoter and performer of new works by living composers. He has developed full recital programs consisting entirely of new works for cello solo and cello/piano, and in April of 2010 collaborated with Kaija Saariaho in producing a concert of her cello works and in performing her concerto Amers with the composer at the electronics.
Russell received his Master’s degree in cello performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was the recipient of the Paul Collins Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, MD. He is presently a candidate for the Doctor of Music degree at Northwestern University.