Photo credit: Steve J. Sherman

Astrid Schween has performed extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. She appears frequently as concerto soloist, most recently with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Idaho Civic Symphony, at the Cleveland Institute, Peninsula Music Fesitval, University of the South, University of Massachusetts, Ohio University, and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in performances of Tan Dun’s “Snow in June,” David Popper’s “Hungarian Rhapsody,” Menachem Wiesenberg’s “Concertino for Cello,” and other works including the Elgar Cello Concerto.

As a member of the world-renowned Lark Quartet since 1989, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Lockenhaus, the Beethoven Festival in Moscow and many other prestigious venues. With her colleagues in the Lark, she has garnered numerous awards in international competition; the Shostakovich Gold Medal in Russia and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award among them. In recital, Ms. Schween has toured nationwide with pianist Gary Hammond (Schween-Hammond Duo) since 2001, and during the 2006 season, performed at Carnegie’s Weill Hall with pianist Maura Glennon. She has also appeared frequently with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Astrid Schween has conducted master classes in cello and chamber music at Juilliard, The Curtis Institute, The Hartt School, Dartmouth College, Harid Conservatory, Florida State, Brigham Young, Idaho, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Columbus State and Ohio universities, at the Festival da Camera in San Miguel de Allende , the Summit Music Festival and Inter-School Orchestras of New York and the 2005 Bernard Greenhouse Celebration at UNCG. A frequent speaker and panelist, she has been featured at the Chamber Music America and Arts Presenters Conferences. Ms. Schween is currently Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she succeeds cellist Matt Haimovitz, and has been appointed a Valade Fellow at The Interlochen Center for the Arts. She also serves on the faculty of The School for Strings in New York and The Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Ms. Schween’s recordings include over a dozen CDs with the Lark Quartet for Arabesque, Decca/Argo, Point, CRI and New World labels, as well as numerous recordings of chamber music and works for cello and piano.

Astrid Schween earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the Juilliard School and was a pupil of Harvey Shapiro, Leonard Rose, Channing Robbins, Ardyth Alton, Bernard Greenhouse and Jacqueline Du Pre. She began the solo portion of her career while still a teenager, when she performed as soloist with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta.

She is represented by MCM Artists.