Leonard Rose

1918-1984. Leonard Rose (1918-1984) was one of the very best American teachers and musicians of the twentieth century. His father was a cellist, and gave him his first lessons on the instrument. When he was ten he took lessons from Walter Grossman at the Miami Conservatory, and shortly after that studied with his cousin, Frank Miller, who was principal cellist with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York. When Rose was sixteen he began studying with Felix Salmond at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and two years later became Salmond's assistant. at the age of 18, Rose graduated from the Curtis Institute, and began playing in the cello section of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Toscanini. In 1939 he became principal cellist in the Cleveland Symphony. In 1951 Rose decided to devote himself completely to teaching and concertizing as a soloist. Lynn Harrell, Yo Yo Ma and Stephen Kates are but three of the fine cellists that were taught by Leonard Rose; and they all revered him as a wonderful teacher. he many recordings of Leonard Rose are classics of the genre, and should heard by all student cellists. Rose played on a beautiful Amati cello dated 1662. Rose's tone was likened to a "ribbon of spun gold." He was Head of the cello department at Juilliard School of Music until his death.