English: This photo was taken on April 5, 2006 following two days of unforgettable master classes presented by Janos Starker in Portland, Oregon at Portland State University. The classes were organized by Hamilton Cheifetz, formerly a student of Starker. The photo is of Matthew Cheifetz, Janos Starker, Ian Cheifetz, and Hamilton Cheifetz.

Hamilton Cheifetz has been described in Fanfare Magazine as “unquestionably a magnificent player........an expressive lyricism reminiscent of Casals combined with the precision of Janos Starker" for his solo recordings, and he has performed throughout North America and in Europe, Asia, and Australia. A native of Chicago, Cheifetz began playing cello when he was seven and first appeared as soloist with orchestra at the age of eleven. He studied with Janos Starker at Indiana University and later became the teaching assistant to Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi at the University of Western Ontario. The winner of the Piatigorsky Prize at Tanglewood, he toured the United States and Canada on the Music from Marlboro concert series and performed at the White House for President Carter and the members of Congress. Cheifetz has appeared as guest artist with the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Oregon, and Milwaukee, and he toured nationally with the Paul Winter Consort. He presented a solo recital in the Sydney Opera House and has often been featured on National Public Radio's “Performance Today.” His playing was highlighted, together with jazz great Dave Frishberg and vocalist Rebecca Kilgore, on the CBS television special “Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side.” In 2001 he performed duos in concert with Janos Starker which were broadcast nationally on NPR, and he appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York. He is a featured artist at Chamber Music Northwest and other festivals including BargeMusic in New York and the Oregon Bach Festival. Cheifetz is also Principal Cellist of the Oregon Ballet Orchestra. Since 1977, Hamilton Cheifetz has been cellist of the Florestan Trio, trio-in-residence at Portland State University, where he is professor of music. The Florestan Trio has toured Asia three times and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Cheifetz was recently invited to teach as Guest Lecturer at Indiana University and has taught in Korea. Recent concerts include solo recitals in China and South Korea, and he has recorded for Koch, Delos, and Gagliano Recordings. He joined Paquito d'Rivera for a special performance in 2017. Cheifetz enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with his wife Becky, his three sons, Elliott, Ian, and Matthew, and two dogs.

Hamilton Cheifetz is a member of the Subud International Cultural Association, a group of creative people working together to promote original culture and world peace. See hamiltoncheifetz.com for recordings by Hamilton Cheifetz.