Violin

Alabama Symphony: Associate Concertmaster

MM (Cleveland Institute of Music), BMus (Eastman School of Music)

Paul Halberstadt is quickly establishing a versatile identity as an orchestral violinist, cross-genre arranger, folk fiddler and an educator. He currently holds the position as the Associate Concertmaster of the Alabama Symphony in Birmingham. Prior to this, he was acting Concertmaster of the Canton Symphony Orchestra. He has frequently served as concertmaster of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia, the Brevard Sinfonia, and the National Festival Orchestra at the National Orchestral Institute (NOI). At NOI, he led the orchestra in a critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated performance, recorded for the Naxos label, in which the Washington Post referred to him as “the really wonderful Concertmaster, Paul Halberstadt” with playing full of “energy and ardor.” Following a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 led by Andris Nelsons at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Berkshire Eagle declared “concertmaster Paul Halberstadt led his complement of strings by pristine example.” He has won a Grammy award with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for their new Album American Rapture, recorded for the Azica label. Paul is in demand as an orchestral performer and has performed with ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Glens Falls Symphony, and the Symphoria Orchestra of Syracuse.

As a soloist, Paul is the third prize winner of the Darius Milhaud Competition in Cleveland. He has also participated in the Hudson Valley International String Competition, the Aspen Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and the Eastman Dvorak Violin Competition. He has collaborated with artists such as David Zinman and Joshua Bell in the 2019 Eastman Presents Series, as well as William Preucil in the 2018 Brevard Camerata. Paul has studied with many leading Concertmasters including Sheryl Staples, Malcolm Lowe, Jonathan Carney, William Preucil, Eric Wyrick, and Jessica Mathaes. Other important teachers include Paul Kantor, Ida Kavafian, Jaime Laredo, Zoya Leybin, Bonnie Bewick, Kimberly Kennedy, Jason Horowitz, and Paul Arnold.

Paul was born in Boston, Massachusetts and began violin at the age of four. After preparatory studies at the New England Conservatory, he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance under the tutelage of Juliana Athayde at the Eastman School of Music, where he was a recipient of the Kelly Zou Scholarship, the Sylvia L.Gilbert Memorial Scholarship and the Howard Hanson Scholarship. He completed his Master’s degree with Stephen Rose in Violin Performance with a minor in Suzuki Pedagogy at the Cleveland Institute of Music.