Artist Background

Born in Israel, Atlanta cellist Roy Harran began playing cello at the age of seven with Dr. David Sella and later with Prof. Uzi Wiesel. Roy is the son of the late Prof. Don Harrán, world-renowned musicologist, and Aya, a retired music therapist, who encouraged Roy to study and become a cellist. After three years of military service as Outstanding Musician, playing cello in the Israel Defense Forces String Quartet, Roy studied at the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel-Aviv University (B.Mus. magna cum laude). He received his M.Mus. at the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Paul Katz and Steven Doane.

Roy, who also goes by Roee, is a solo cellist and an avid chamber musician. He was a member of the Rochester Piano Quartet, the Avanti Trio, and played with the Vanbrugh Quartet and others. He also has performed with the Tanglewood Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival and others.

Roy has played solo recitals and appeared as a soloist in Israel, Europe, the U.S. and Canada. He has participated in various orchestras, including the Orchestre Mondial des Jeunesses Musicales and the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée as principal cellist.

After several years as principal cellist in the New World Symphony, Roy became a member of the Savannah Symphony before joining the faculty of Radford University and the Renaissance Music Academy in Va. Currently, Roy is freelancing as a cello teacher and cellist in Atlanta. He plays regularly with the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, Fringe Atlanta and the Highland Music Festival. Roy has been a faculty member at Agnes Scott College and currently serves on the Emory University faculty. As a cello instructor and artist affiliate at Emory, he gives cello lessons to music majors and non-majors. Roy resides in Decatur, Ga., with his wife, Kelli. He teaches private cello lessons to all ages and levels.