Sameer Apte

American and British cellist Sameer Apte is a second-year Cello Fellow at the New World Symphony. He has collaborated as soloist with conductors Carl Topilow, Stephen Schultz and Gerard Schwarz; and performs frequently with members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has been a featured young artist at Music@Menlo and the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and a fellow at Tanglewood, Aspen and Pacific music festivals. In 2026 he begins as music director of the Blairsville (PA) Chamber Music Festival. An active Baroque cellist, his interests include the music of 18th century Britain, and a project to transcribe the viol pieces of Marin Marais for cello.

In 2025 Sameer completed his doctorate from Stony Brook University under Colin Carr, where he taught undergraduate cello and chamber music. His students won multiple prizes, including first prize, at Stony Brook’s concerto competition. He earned his master’s degree from the New England Conservatory under Paul Katz as recipient of the Gregor Piatigorsky scholarship. He previously attended Carnegie Mellon University, studying cello with Anne Martindale Williams and orchestral conducting with Daniel Nesta Curtis. His other mentors include Gilbert Kalish, Martha Baldwin, David Premo, David Finckel and Merry Peckham.

Sameer has performed as guest principal cellist with the Utah Symphony and Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and he served as principal cellist of the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic from 2016-2019. He has presented master classes at Suzuki Music Columbus (OH), and has adjudicated the Cleveland Cello Society Competition’s collegiate division.

A native of Cleveland, Sameer began his music studies with Nicole Castleberry at the Cleveland Music School Settlement. He plays a 2013 Eugene Holtier cello and 2014 bow by Katherine Mohr, both made in northeast Ohio. When not performing and teaching, he enjoys reading and collecting books, cycling, running and birding.