The Julliard String Quartet, 2015 (Photo: Shan Su, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Juilliard School of Music has announced the death of long-time faculty member and advisor Joel Krosnick at age 84. Krosnick was one of the longest serving cellists of the Juilliard String Quartet, where he performed from 1974 until his retirement in 2016.
Krosnick earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University. While he enjoyed some success as a soloist, his recognition grew after joining the Juilliard String Quartet in 1974. Krosnick toured with the ensemble for many decades, performing around the world and recording for various classical record labels.
Another longtime collaboration was with pianist Gilbert Kalish, resulting in numerous important recordings – among those, the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms, and an album dedicated to lesser known American composers (Forgotten Americans). Krosnick also enjoyed supporting and premiering works by living composers. His premieres include works by Donald Martino and Ralph Shapey.
In addition to accepting a role as the cellist of the Juilliard String Quartet, Krosnick also joined the school’s teaching staff in the 1970s. He was promoted to chair of Juilliard’s cello department in 1994, and in 2015, received the Juilliard School President’s Medal for Service to the Arts. Krosnick was also on the faculty of the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the Perlman Music Program, and was associated with various other prestigious music organizations including Aspen, Marlboro, and Tanglewood.
He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2011 for his work in the ensemble. He also obtained honorary doctorates from Michigan State University, Jacksonville University, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
