Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra assistant principal cellist Lars Kirvan grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, where he began his cello studies with Loran Stephenson of the National Symphony Orchestra. He later earned his bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was a student of the Cleveland Orchestra’s long time principal cellist, Stephen Geber.

Mr. Kirvan was a section member and principal cellist of the Verbier Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, as well as the New World Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Mr. Kirvan has been fortunate to collaborate in chamber music performances with artists such as Maxim Vengerov, James Buswell, Leonidas Kavakos, Dimitry Sitkovesky, Heinrich Schiff, Laurence Lesser, Jon Kimura Parker, and others. He was invited to join the World Orchestra for Peace, conducted by Valery Gergiev. More recently, Mr. Kirvan became the assistant principal cellist of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, a professional summer symphony orchestra.  He has been a concerto soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Genessee Symphony Orchestra, and the Roberts Wesleyan College Community Orchestra.

Mr. Kirvan joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008 and was appointed its third chair cello. In the 2014-15 season, he served as principal cellist of the RPO.  He also maintains a private teaching studio, serves as adjunct professor of cello at Roberts Wesleyan College, and most recently joined the cello faculty of the Eastman Community Music School.