About Matt
Renowned as a musical pioneer, multi-Grammy-nominated cellist Matt Haimovitz is praised by The New York Times as a “ferociously talented cellist who brings his megawatt sound and uncommon expressive gifts to a vast variety of styles” and by The New Yorker as “remarkable virtuoso” who “never turns in a predictable performance.” He brings a fresh ear to familiar repertoire, champions new music, and initiates groundbreaking collaborations, as well as creating innovative recording projects. In addition to his touring schedule, Haimovitz mentors an award-winning studio of young cellists at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal and is the first-ever John Cage Fellow at The New School's Mannes School of Music in New York City.
Haimovitz made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. He has gone on to perform on the world’s most esteemed stages, with such orchestras and conductors as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta, the English Chamber Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim, the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Kent Nagano. His latest endeavor, THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT, encompasses 81 new commissions from a diverse intersection of North American communities and has been featured in the most recent 59th Venice Biennale Arte.
Making his first recording at 17 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Haimovitz’s recording career encompasses more than 30 years of award-winning work on Deutsche Grammophon (Universal), Oxingale Records, and the PENTATONE Oxingale Series. His honors include the Trailblazer Award from the American Music Center, the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Grand Prix du Disque, and the Premio Internazionale “Accademia Musicale Chigiana.” He studied with Leonard Rose at The Juilliard School and graduated magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University. Haimovitz plays a Venetian cello, made in 1710 by Matteo Gofriller.
Timeline
Launches a Concerto Series on the PENTATONE Oxingale Series with first commercial recording of Thomas de Hartmann’s Cello Concerto (1935), recorded at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig with Maestro Dennis Russell Davies and the MDR Leipzig Radio Orchestra
THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT featured in the 59th International Venice Biennale Arte and GRAMMY nomination for Best Classical Vocal Album for Unexpected Shadows with Jaime Barton and Jake Heggie
GRAMMY nomination for Best Classical Compendium Album for Luna Pearl Woolf: Fire and Flood
THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT, a collaboration with artist Charline von Heyl and director Jeffrianne Young, begins to commission 81 composers to respond to two paintings.
Oxingale Records joins PENTATONE to launch the PENTATONE Oxingale Series and JUNO nomination for AKOKA, a collaboration with clarinetist David Krakauer
Releases Shuffle.Play.Listen with pianist Christopher O’Riley, featuring music by Radiohead, Bernard Hermann, Astor Piazzolla, Igor Stravinsky, Mahavishnu, Leos Janacek, and others
GRAMMY nomination for Best Crossover Album for Meeting of the Spirits, also featuring electric guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Matt Wilson
American Music Center’s Trailblazer Award and named Associate Professor of Cello at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University
Embarks on Anthem, a 50-state tour and album, celebrating living American composers and Jimi Hendrix’s Star-Spangled Banner from Woodstock
Improvises with bassist Rob Wasserman and Jean Jeanrenaud on Trios, an album which also features Jerry Garcia, Rob Weir, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello and others
Debut with Israel Philharmonic & Maestro Zubin Mehta