Stephen Feldman

Stephen Feldman joined the faculty at the University of Central Arkansas in 2001 after holding teaching positions at the University of Virginia, Penn State University, and DePauw University.  A gifted and enthusiastic communicator in recital, chamber music, and as soloist.  Dr. Feldman’s cello playing has taken him from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Sacramento, California.  Formerly a member of the Fetter and Rivanna String Quartets, Stephen also performed as cellist in the Quapaw and Sturgis String Quartets during his six years with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.  In addition he participated in music festivals at Interlochen, Meadowmount, Aspen, and appeared on NBC’s Today Show while at the Taos School for Chamber Music.  He is a founding member of UCA’s faculty piano trio, the Diana Trio, and of Little Rock’s SOMA String Quartet.  Recent solo performances have included visits to the campuses of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Penn State University, and the University of Delaware, as well as concerts in Illinois, Missouri, and Connecticut.

Dr. Feldman is an inquisitive and dedicated teacher.  His pursuit of understanding at the cello and of the learning process has led him to the pedagogical materials of Rudolf Matz, Christopher Bunting, and Kato Havas, as well as to work with the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method.  Stephen’s students have been prize-winners in the State and Regional Divisions of the MTNA Competition, Emerson Scholars at Interlochen, and Fellows at the Aspen School of Music.  In addition his students have gone on to receive scholarships and graduate assistantships at outstanding colleges and universities.  Dr. Feldman’s primary aim as a teacher is that his students develop a healthy and rich vocabulary of movement at the instrument that allows their thoughts and feelings about a composition to simply and truly come to life.

A graduate of Swarthmore College, the Eastman School of Music, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Dr. Feldman’s mentors include cellists Steven Doane and Timothy Eddy.  He considers chamber music coach Julius Levine and Baroque specialists Arthur Haas and Paul O’dette also to be significant musical influences.