Biography
Cellist Joshua Roman began playing at the age of three. Since his first solo recital at the age of ten, he has performed a vast number of concerts and solo recitals − receiving acclaim for his strong command and embracement of a wildly varied repertoire. He has taken his sterling artistry, intelligent musicality and masterful technique to many cities in the United States and abroad.
As a concerto soloist, he has performed with the Seattle Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, and the Wyoming Symphony. Joshua also regularly performs in venues such as clubs in the Seattle area and other cities, where the repertoire is as likely to be collaboration with a rock group or singer as it is to be a performance of a solo sonata by Zoltan Kodaly or J.S. Bach.
Since winning the Principal chair of the cello section of the Seattle Symphony at the age of 22, he has become a favorite of Seattle music lovers, with sold out solo and chamber performances around the city. Joshua has worked with many composers, and has had a wealth of new music written expressly for him. Among the classical composers he has worked with are Samuel Adler, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Syd Hodkinson. He has premiered music including concertos, sonatas, solo pieces and some of his own works as well.
Along with his rapidly growing solo career, Joshua is a frequent chamber music performer and has played with such musicians as Sergei Babayan, Earl Carlyss, Franklin Cohen, Desmond Hoebig, Paul Kantor, William Preucil, Lynn Ramsey, Marta Garcia Renart, Ann Schein, Joaquin Valdepenas, Virginia Weckstrom, and Christopher Zacharias.
Joshua received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Cello Performance in 2004 from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Richard Aaron. In 2005 he also received his Masters at CIM with Desmond Hoebig, Principal Cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra. Previous teachers include Lacy McLarry, Peter Spurbeck, and Gregory Sauer.
Joshua has also won top prizes in many competitions, including the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competitions, Cleveland Cello Society and National Federation of Music Clubs. Joshua frequently performs on cellos from the collection of David Fulton.