Eliot Bailen, composer/cello

Strings Magazine writes, "At Merkin Hall (NYC) ‘cellist Eliot Bailen displayed a warm focused tone, concentrated expressiveness and admirable technical command always at the service of the music” (July, ’99). Eliot Bailen is principal cello of the New York Chamber Ensemble, Westfield Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra New England, Teatro Grattacielo, the Garret Lakes Arts Festival Orchestra and the New Choral Society. Founder and Artistic Director of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble whose performances the New York Times has described as “the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert.” (July, 2005), Mr. Bailen also performs regularly with the Saratoga Chamber Players, 'Modern Works,' the Cape May Music Festival and the Sebago-Long Lake Chamber Music Festival and is founder of the Rodeph Sholom Chamber Music Series in New York. He is assistant-principal cello of the Stamford Symphony and appears frequently with leading New York area orchestras such as, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, American Symphony, Oratorio Society of New York, New Jersey Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. He has recorded for Nonesuch, Koch International, Deutche Grammophon, Delos, New World, Beanstalk, BMG and Flying Dutchman Records and has been heard as solo cello in numerous Broadway shows. He has appeared as soloist with Orchestra New England, the Bay Atlantic Symphony, Stamford Symphony, Cape May Festival Orchestra, Garrett Lakes Festival Orchestra and Westfield Symphony. Mr. Bailen received his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from Yale University and is on the cello and chamber music faculty at Columbia University and Teachers College. Graduating in 1977 with High Honors in Music and French Literature from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Mr. Bailen also holds an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University where he was awarded the coveted Slater Prize for Entrepreneurship. In 2002, he was awarded the Norman Vincent Peale Arts Award for Positive Thinking.

An active composer, Mr. Bailen has received over twenty commissions for his "Song to Symphony" project, an extended school residency program that presents children's original musicals in an orchestral setting; the project was the subject of a NY Times feature article (Sept. 2006). In 2011, Mr. Bailen’s “Perhaps a Butterfly” was premiered at Rodeph Sholom in New York, a piece for flute, string trio, soprano and child soprano, which has been recently selected for publishing by Transcontinental Music. In addition, he has received a commission from the Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra for a Double Concerto for flute and cello which will premiere October 2012 and features himself and his wife, the flutist, Susan Rotholz as soloists. Mr. Bailen has also gained national attention as a writer and producer of children's music. Winner of the 1990 Parent's Choice Gold Medal and winner of numerous ASCAP Popular Awards, Mr. Bailen was a featured guest artist on Nickelodeon's "Eureeka's Castle" airing from 1993 through 1997. They live in New York City with their twin sons David and Daniel and their daughter Julia.

October 20, 2012