The Cleveland Orchestra Announces New 26-Year-Old Assistant Concertmaster

The Cleveland Orchestra has announced the appointment of 26-year-old American violinist Stephen Tavani as its new Assistant Concertmaster

The Cleveland Orchestra has today announced the appointment of 26-year-old American violinist Stephen Tavani as its new Assistant Concertmaster - effective from the commencement of the 2018-2019 season.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Colburn School, where he studied with Ida Kavafian, Arnold Steinhardt and Robert Lipsett, and current student of William Preucil at the Cleveland Institute of Music Concertmaster Academy, Stephen has served as Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia since 2016.

“The Cleveland Orchestra has a very rich tradition of excellence ... joining an orchestra with such an inspiring level of musicianship will challenge me to improve and grow as a musician ... " Stephen has said.

"It is another step in my pursuit of making music at the highest level," he has said.

STEPHEN TAVANI & JUHANI LAGERSPATZ | JANACEK VIOLIN SONATA | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION

The Cleveland Orchestra has also announced the appointment of Chinese-born violinist Zhan Shu to its 1st violin section.

A graduate of Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, the University of Houston and Mannes College of Music, where he studied with Mauricio Fuks, Alexander Kerr, Emanuel Borok and Lucie Robert, Zhan has served as a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 2014.