The cellist was a member of the orchestra from 1974 to 2010, performing in over 5,000 concerts during his tenure
US cellist Stephen Custer died on 4 March 2025 at his home in Williamsburg, VA. He was 81.
Custer was born on 18 October 1943 in Newton, MA to a musical family. He studied cello at the All Newton Music School and joined the Greater Boston Youth Symphony in high school, where he won the opportunity to perform a solo under the baton of Arthur Fiedler.
He obtained an undergraduate degree from the Juilliard School in 1965, where he studied with Leonard Rose, followed by graduate studies at Ohio University in 1967 and a doctorate from Catholic University of America in 1971.
His early professional career saw him join the Air Force Strolling Strings in Washington DC, through which he performed for dignitaries at official functions, the banquet at which President Richard Nixon welcomed the Apollo astronauts back from the moon. Custer then secured an orchestral job as principal cellist of the Syracuse Symphony in New York.
He joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1974 under the directorship of Zubin Mehta, and remained in the orchestra until 2010. His LA Phil tenure consisted of more than 5,000 concerts, including tours around the world with leading conductors and soloists such as Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, The Three Tenors, Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Carlo Maria Giulini, among others.
As an educator, Custer taught private students and served as an adjunct music professor at Moorpark College and Pepperdine University.
Following his retirement from the LA Phil in 2010, Custer moved to Williamsburg and continued to play as principal cellist with the Northern Neck Orchestra, as well as occasional performances with the Richmond Symphony and Virginia Opera.
Read: Long-standing Orpheus Chamber Orchestra violist Christof Huebner has died
Read: Violinist Donald Hazelwood, former Sydney Symphony concertmaster, has died aged 95
The number one source for playing and teaching books, guides, CDs, calendars and back issues of the magazine.
In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.
The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.
The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.
No comments yet