Biography

Michael Tree's principal studies were with Efrem Zimbalist on violin and viola at the Curtis Institute of Music. Subsequent to his Carnegie Hall recital debut at the age of 20, Tree has appeared as violin and viola soloist with major orchestras, including the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New Jersey. As a founding member of the Marlboro Trio and Guarneri Quartet, he has played throughout the world and recorded more than 80 chamber music works. Prominent among these are ten piano quintets and quartets with Artur Rubinstein. Tree serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, Bard College Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, University of Maryland School of Music and Rutgers University, and regularly performs at the Marlboro Music School and Festival.

Until recently, Tree played a circa 1750 Domenicus Busan viola from Venice, Italy. He has also played violas of the modern Japanese-American luthier Hiroshi Iizuka. During his early years with the Guarneri Quartet, Tree played on a viola made by mid 20th century luthier Harvey Fairbanks of Binghamton, New York.

Michael Tree received an honorary degree from Binghamton University.

Discography

Outside of the chamber music recordings with the Guarneri Quartet, Tree recorded:

Beethoven Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola with Eugenia and Pinchas Zukerman (on Columbia)

Bolcom "Let Evening Come" with Benite Valente and Cynthia Raim (on Centaur Records)

Brahms Viola Sonatas with Richard Goode (on Nonesuch)

Brahms Horn Trio with Myron Bloom and Rudolf Serkin (on Sony Classical)

Brahms G major Viola Quintet with Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, and Yo-Yo Ma

Brahms Sextets (on Sony) with Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, and Sharon Robinson

Mendelssohn Octet with Jaime Laredo, Alexander Schneider, Arnold Steinhardt, John Dalley, Samuel Rhodes, Leslie Parnas, and David Soyer

Mozart Violin and Viola Duos (on Nonesuch) with Violinist Toshiya Eto

Mozart Concertone with Jaime Laredo, violin, and Alexander Schneider conducting the Marlboro Festival Orchestra (on Columbia)

Schmidt Quintet (on Sony Classical) with Leon Fleisher, Joel Smirnoff, Joseph Silverstein and Yo-Yo Ma

[ Source: Wikipedia ]