A Talented Russian Cellist
Meet the Talented Russian Cellist, Egor Antonenko
by Aleksandre Roderick-Lorenz
Egor Antonenko has established himself as one of the most gifted cellists of his generation in over 3 continents. He was born in Kaliningrad and received his education from prestigious institutions such as the Central Music School Pyotr Tchaikosky, Moscow State Conservatory, Longy School of Music of Bard College and Syracuse University. He studied under the guidance of Maria Zuravleva and Svetlana Ivanova in his native Russia, and with Dr. Terry King in the United States. Mr. Antonenko has distinguished himself internationally as a versatile soloist, orchestral player, chamber musician and teacher. He made his solo debut at the young age of eight years old with the Kaliningrad Chamber Orchestra. His early accomplishments allowed him to continue to perform with a plethora of celebrated Eastern European ensembles including the Moscow and Ryazan chamber orchestras and the Petrozavodsk, Yaroslavi and Volgograd symphonies. A phenomenal soloist, he has performed under the baton of various conductors such as Marius Stravinsky, Leon Botstein, Miguel Etchegoncelay, Gil Rose and Benjamin Zander. Mr. Antonenko has been a prize-winner in numerous competitions such the Rising Stars International Competition of Moscow, Citi di Barletta International Young Artist Competition, Gradus ad Parnassum of Lithuania International Competition, Longy School of Music of Bard College Concerto Competition and Syracuse University Concerto Competition. As a chamber musician, he has made appearances with the Shanghai and Hausmann String Quartets, William Preucil, the Newport and Lyrica chamber music festivals.
A passionate teacher, he served as Teaching Assistant to his menor, Terry King at the Setnor School of Music in Syracuse University and as a guest professor of cello at the Miami Youth Orchestra and Choir [MYO] and the International School of Music. In 2018, he made his debut appearance in Los Angeles at the distinguished iPalpiti Music Festival as assistant principal cellist. Soon after, Mr. Antonenko made his American National Public Radio debut on Robert Sherman’s McGraw-Hill Young Artist Showcase on WQXR.
As a humanitarian, he enjoys performing for outreach concerts at hospitals, cancer centers, assisted living facilities, shelters and adult amateur workshops. He also taught a series of master classes to assist and inspire low-income students in their musical journey. Mr. Antonenko’s unique artistry has taken him to perform in more than 50 countries for a partnership between Lincoln Center Stage and the Holland America Line. In 2021, he joined the celebrated New World Symphony in Miami under Michael Tilson Thomas as a substitute cellist.
Aleksandre Roderick-Lorenz joined the CNY Latino newspaper’s writing team in December 2020. There, he will be writing a new column on assorted and interesting topics. His interests include professional interviews, music, art, film, literature, metaphysics, gay culture, spirituality, education, history, and politics. His column will receive the following epithet: Imaginaries and Discourses. To read about him, head over to cnylatinonewspaper.com and search for him by his name. You can also send questions or comments about his column to the following email: aleks@cnylatino.com.
