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"World class musician" hails the Frankfurter Rundschau. The Ottawa Citizen mentions his "satin sound" and interpretation that is "uncommonly rich and introspective".
A native of Israel, Shmuel Katz began his violin studies at age 8 and picked up the viola at age 13, he maintains a performing career on both instruments. He graduated with honors from the Tel-Aviv Conservatory in 1992 and then served as first violinist of the Israeli army string quartet and a concertmaster of the Israeli army chamber orchestra as a part of the Outstanding Musicians Program of the Israel Defense Forces. He served as a concertmaster and soloist with the Young Israel Philharmonic, the Israel Conservatory Chamber Orchestra and the Thelma Yellin High School for the arts Symphony.
Mr. Katz received his Bachelor and Master Degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied violin and viola with Pinchas Zukerman and Michael Tree. He has also performed in Masterclasses given by Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Josef Gingold and Dorothy DeLay and coached by members of the Guarneri, Cleveland, Tokyo, LaSalle and Julliard Quartets. Among his numerous competition awards in the US and Europe is the first prize in the CIMS Chamber Music Competition in Palermo, Italy. He has been a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships since 1986.
Shmuel Katz participated in several prestigious festivals, most notably the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, the Pro Chamber Music Festival in Germany and the US Interlochen Festival. As a member of the Michael Trio, he has appeared in Italy, Austria, Spain, USA and Israel. Mr. Katz performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras both as a violinist and a violist and in chamber music concerts with such artists as Pinchas Zukerman, Tabea Zimmermann, Michael Tree, Ralph Kirschbaum and members of the New York Philharmonic.
Shmuel Katz is a frequent substitute violist and violinist with the New York Philharmonic and toured with them in Europe, South America and the Far East. He also performs regularly with Orchestra of the St. Luke's and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, where he also appeared as a principal violist.
