Biography

Rhonda Rider: cello faculty and Coordinator of Chamber Music at The Boston Conservatory; cello faculty, Boston University. Founding member (1980-2002), Lydian Quartet (Naumburg Award, prizes at Evian, Banff and Portsmouth, ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming, Meet the Composer and Copland Fund Grants). Current member (founded in 1995), Triple Helix Piano Trio (Artists of the Year, Boston Globe; in-Residence-at-Wellesley College). 50 - 60 concert appearances annually at such venues as Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Concerts Spirituel de Geneve, Septembre Musique de L’Orne, American Academy in Rome, Moscow Conservatory, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Over twenty recordings on Harmonia Mundi, Centaur, New World, CRI, Nonesuch (two Grammy nominations, “Critic’s Choice”, New York Times). Numerous premiers by such composers as John Harbison, Lee Hyla, Steve Mackey, Andy Vores. As a soloist, Concert Artists' Guild Award, Aaron Copland Fund Grant.

Chamber music performances with Robert Levin, Judith Gordon, Dawn Upshaw, Sanford Sylvan, Ida Levin, Lynn Chang, Kim Kashkashian, David Krakauer, Paul Katz, Mstislav Rostropovich. Masterclasses at Yale, Oberlin, New England Conservatory, Northwestern, U of Oregon and Princeton. Panelist for National Endowment for the Arts, ASTA and Chamber Music America. Ajudicator for Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff Chamber Muisic Competition, and concerto competitions at New England Conservatory and Boston University. Summer festival appearances include Norfolk, Tanglewood, Green Mountains Festival, Rockport, Music from Salem. Cello coach for the Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong).

B.M., Oberlin Conservatory (Hurlburt Award); M.M., Yale School of Music (Haupt Award). Cello and chamber music studies with Aldo Parisot, Richard Kapuscinski, Zara Nelsova, Robert Koff, Sandor Vegh, Louis Krasner