Artist Biography
Charles Castleman, Violin
A wunderkind almost from the cradle (appearing on TV as a child with Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, The Dorsey Brothers, Arthur Godfrey and Lawrence Welk, debuting as recitalist in Boston and NYC to rave reviews at the age of 9),and a top prizewinner in the Tchaikowsky and Brussels competitions, CHARLES CASTLEMAN has appeared as soloist with the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Mexico City, Montreal, Moscow, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai.
Mr. Castleman's 6 solo CDs include 10 Sarasate virtuoso cameos and Ysaye's Solo Sonatas (made at the time of his unique performance at Tully Hall in NYC) on MUSIC AND ARTS, Gershwin and Antheil on MUSICMASTERS, and 20th century violin and harpsichord music for ALBANY. As a Ford Foundation Concert Artist he commissioned the David Amram Concerto, performing its premiere with Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony, and recording it for NEWPORT CLASSIC.
He has participated in such festivals as Marlboro(VT), Budapest (HUNGARY), Fuefukigawa (JAPAN), Montreux(SWITZERLAND), Shanghai(CHINA), and Vienna Festwoche (AUSTRIA). His recitals have been broadcast on NPR, BBC, in Berlin and Paris.
An internationally renowned teacher, Professor at Eastman, Mr Castleman has conducted masterclasses in London, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Kiev, Toronto, Auckland and Brisbane.
Charles Castleman is founder/director of THE QUARTET PROGRAM, in its 30th season, now at Bucknell University, a 7-week workshop in solo and chamber music performance. The Tokyo Quartet, Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma have donated masterclasses there, Mr. Ma praising it as "the best program of its kind..a training ground in lifemanship."
Mr. Castleman earned degrees from Harvard, the Curtis Institute, and University of Pennsylvania. He plays on the "Marquis de Champeaux" Stradivarius from 1708 , and chooses from more than 50 fine bows.