Stephen Katz

The New York Times wrote, "With a bow and fingers as light as feathers Stephen Katz makes a cello bring out meanings you might not have suspected were there." 

Trailblazing cellist and award-winning composer Stephen Katz has charted new territory for the rhythmic potential of the cello with the groundbreaking approach he calls Flying Pizzicato. The results are compositions that juggle two or more voices at a time, making music that lays grooves, weaves tunes, and lifts spirits.

Stephen performed his theatrical treatment of JS Bach’s Suite in G Major, Angels In The Engine Room, at the Bach Cello Suites Festival in March 2020. He has toured internationally as a soloist, and with the Paul Winter Consort, Rachael Sage, Susan Werner, and the Essex String Quartet. He has been featured on APM national broadcasts of Performance Today, and is a NEA grant recipient through the SUNY/Buffalo Arts in Healthcare Initiative. 

As a film composer Stephen’s score won the Jury Prize Gold Medal for Best Impact of Music in a Documentary at the Park City Film Music Festival. His other film scores and performances have been broadcast on PBS/Independent Lens and PRI’s Performance Today. 

A native of San Francisco, Stephen received a Master of Music degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He and his family live in Western Massachusetts, USA.