Joshua Roman

Cellist. Curator. Composer.

“Combines the expressive control of Casals with the creative individuality and virtuoso flair of Hendrix himself”

-Gramophone



Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts" and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart" (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics" (Seattle Times).

Committed to bringing Classical music to new audiences, Roman opened the acclaimed 2017 TED Conference, and his performance of the complete Bach Solo Cello Suites after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was the most-viewed event in the history of TED’s social channels, with nearly a million live viewers. Roman has collaborated with world-class artists across genres and disciplines, including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith.

Upcoming Schedule

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March 29-30, 2025

Lark, Roman, and Meyer

Big Ears Festival
Knoxville, TN

In demand as both a performer and a composer, Edgar Meyer has formed a role in the music world unlike any other. Meyer’s newest collaboration is a trio with violinist Tessa Lark, one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, and cellist, accomplished composer, and curator Joshua Roman, whose performances embrace musical styles from Bach to Radiohead.

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April 9-12, 2025

Asheville Symphony

First Baptist Church of Asheville
Asheville, NC

The Awakening cello concert, composed and performed by Joshua Roman, reflects on a fateful journey from darkness and anger to personal rebirth through the support of others and the affirmation that no one is alone.

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May 1-4, 2025

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Baltimore, MD

In a commission from BSO Composer in Residence James Lee III, a new Cello Concerto features the talents of Joshua Roman, whose electrifying interpretations of solo repertoire draw from his creative perspective as a composer and improviser. An early overture by England’s Edward Elgar depicts a storied account of battles and royal intrigue from the 1300s.

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“...IT TAKES, AS THEY SAY, A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS TO PULL OFF SOMETHING LIKE THIS. BUT ROMAN — WHO, IN ADDITION TO BEING A FORMIDABLE MUSICIAN, BOASTS THE EASY, SUNNY CHARISMA OF A BOY-BAND FRONTMAN — IS JUST THE PERSON FOR THE JOB.”

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, JULY 2021 [JOSHUA KOSMAN]

Latest Album

October 4, 2024

Immunity

Immunity offers an intimate musical exploration of Roman’s life-altering experience of ongoing Long COVID

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