Shmuel Katz, Associate Principal Viola

Shmuel Katz has been praised as a “world-class musician” by the leading German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, and heralded by the Ottawa Citizen for his “uncommonly rich and introspective” playing.

Mr. Katz is a newly appointed member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra after being an associate member with the company for over a decade. Shmuel serves as Principal Violist of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and as the Associate Principal Violist of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Previously, Mr. Katz served as Principal Violist of the Pennsylvania Ballet and member of the New York City Opera and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He also appeared as concertmaster and soloist with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. He has toured with the orchestra in Europe, Asia and North America.

Mr. Katz is on the viola faculty at Manhattan School of Music and SUNY Purchase. He has previously taught at New York University.

Shmuel is an active recording artist. He has recorded for EMI, Deutsche Grammophon and Ondine labels with The Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. His studio work in New York includes albums of Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Lou Reed as well as more than 20 movie soundtracks

Mr. Katz performs frequently in chamber music concert and recitals. He has performed recently with the Concertante, Richardson and American Chamber Players, St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and the Israeli Chamber Project. He has collaborated in chamber music performances with Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Yefim Bronfman, Michael Tree, Ralph Kirchbaum, Vadim Gluzman, Leif Ove Andsnes, American String Quartet and Tabea Zimmerman. As a recitalist, Mr. Katz has performed in Weill recital hall, David Geffen hall, the Jerusalem Music Centre, National Library in Ottawa, Canada and more.

He received his bachelors and masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied violin and viola with Pinchas Zukerman, Michael Tree and Patinka Kopec. Before leaving for New York, he studied in Israel with Haim Taub, Ora Shiran and Yair Kless. He also performed in masterclasses given by Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Dorothy DeLay, Josef Gingold, Joseph Silverstein and Alexander Schneider.