Ron Clearfield

Classically trained cellist Ron Clearfield has branched into a diverse range of musical styles. In addition to working with such classical music icons as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, and Seiji Ozawa, Clearfield has accompanied such pop artists as George Benson, Linda Ronstadt, and Dionne Warwick. He was a featured solo cellist on Judy Collins' Christmas Special for the A&E network. On his own recordings, Dream Manifestation and Time on Earth, Clearfield skillfully blends the classical tradition with world music and jazz influences to create a highly atmospheric sound. The grandson of a pianist and teacher, who emigrated to the United States from Russia, and the son of a clarinet player, Clearfield studied violin from the age of ten. He switched to cello shortly afterwards. Receiving a Masters degree in cello performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, he made his professional debut with the Indianapolis Symphony, the same group that his father had launched his career with more than two decades before. Clearfield remained with the Indianapolis Symphony only briefly before he left to seek work as a freelance cellist in Philadelphia, Houston, New York, and Miami. Building a studio in his home, he recorded three self-produced albums before signing with the EverSound label in 1998. His debut album, Dream Manifestation, was released a few months later. For the past three decades, Clearfield has meditated regularly, using techniques that he learned from Guru Maharaji. He currently serves as associate principal cellist of the Asheville Symphony in Asheville, North Carolina and conducts the Asheville City/Buncombe County Schools Orchestra.