Cellist, Zsaz Rutkowski enjoys a versatile career in orchestra, chamber music, theatre, and pedagogy. As a core member with New York City’s Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and the New England Symphonic Ensemble, she appears regularly at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, performing in a variety of cross cultural programs. Zsaz is also active in New York’s theatre community, both on and off Broadway. She has performed and orchestrated for The Theatre for a New Audience, and with the companies of Pretty Woman, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, and most recently for the Tony award winning musical, Hadestown.
As a believer in life-long learning, Zsaz is currently studying toward her Suzuki Teacher Training Certificate at The School for Strings under master pedagogue, Pam Devenport. Zsaz enjoys drawing from a rich resource and history of great mentors and diverse musical training to inspire and lead the next generation of cellists. In addition to maintaining a private studio, Zsaz is on faculty at The Spence School, The Third Street Music School Settlement, and the 92nd Street Y.
Ms. Rutkowski holds a BA from the Manhattan School of Music, MA from The Aaron Copland School of Music, and Artist Diploma from the University for Music and Art in Graz, Austria. Her teachers and mentors have included; Marion Feldman, Marcy Rosen, Florian Kitt and Reinhard Latzko.
Zsaz’s special interests have led her to compose music for meditation using both cello and ambient percussion. Her music is inspired by a passion for service and helping others achieve their full potential through the power of sound.
