Kivie Cahn-Lipman, cello
Kivie Cahn-Lipman, the founding cellist of ICE, is currently teaching cello in a full-time position shared between Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. He received his B.M. in 2001 from the Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Peter Rejto, and his M.M. in 2003 from The Juilliard School where he studied with Fred Sherry. He was assistant principal cellist of the Juilliard Orchestra in its 2002 performance in Carnegie Hall under Sir Roger Norrington, and has served as principal cellist of the Juilliard Symphony, the Oberlin Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia, and the New York Youth Symphony.
An avid performer of new music, Kivie has played more than 400 solo and small ensemble world premieres. He has worked with many of the great living composers, including Pierre Boulez, Sir Harrison Birtwhistle, Donald Martino, Bright Sheng, and Mario Davidovsky. Recent performances include Vincent Calianno’s concerto Fuel for electric cello and orchestra, and Kaija Saariaho’s concerto Amers, with the composer playing live electronics. As a member of the Elan Trio (with ICE’s founding executive director Claire Chase and pianist Phyllis Chen), he won top prize at the 2000 Coleman National Chamber Music Competition, performing George Crumb’s Vox Balaenae, a work the trio recently recorded at the composer’s request for Bridge Records’ “Complete Crumb Edition.”
As a chamber musician, Kivie has performed in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Merkin and Alice Tully Halls, Columbia University’s Miller Theater, Symphony Space, and on 96.3 WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase. Recent summer festivals include the Lucerne Festival Academy (Switzerland), Spoleto Festival (Italy), and the Aspen Music Festival, and he has been on the faculty of the French Woods and Summit music festivals. Kivie plays on a 2003 William Whedbee cello, and additionally performs on piccolo cello, baroque cello, and viola da gamba. He is currently a Doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, as a student of Yehuda Hanani.
