Lori Goldston

Lore & Background

Raised in East Meadow, Long Island, Goldston trained on cello, guitar, piano, and voice. She studied cello with Aaron Shapinsky and guitar with Bob Suppan and Joe Monk. At Bennington College, she trained with Maxine Neuman, Milford Graves, Arthur Brooks, Vivian Fine, and Frank Baker, but dropped out before attaining a degree, later describing herself as 'rigorously detrained.' In 1986, she moved to Seattle and performed with the Run/Remain Ensemble. In 1989, she co-founded the Black Cat Orchestra with Don Crevie, Scott Granlund, Jessika Kenney, and Kyle Hanson.

Goldston rose to prominence in the mid-1990s as a session cellist, joining Nirvana on a US tour and appearing on *MTV Unplugged in New York*. She played on dozens of studio albums through the 1990s and early 2000s. With the Black Cat Orchestra, she toured and recorded with David Byrne (on his 1997 album *Feelings*), the One Reel Film Festival, and NPR's *This American Life*. The group released a self-titled debut in 1996, followed by *Mysteries Explained* (2001) and *Long Shadows at Noon* (2003).

In 2003, Goldston began collaborating with Portland-based artist Mirah, teaming up for the political album *To All We Stretch the Open Arm*. After the Black Cat Orchestra disbanded in 2004, she and Hanson founded Spectratone International, which included Kane Mathis, Jane Hall, and Darko Vukmanic. With Spectratone International, she rejoined Mirah for *Share This Place: Stories and Observations* (2007), which premiered at the 2006 Seattle International Children's Festival. Goldston also formed the ensemble Instead Of in 2005, and from 2009 to 2015 toured and recorded with Earth, appearing on *Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light* (2011, 2012).

Reader's Guide

Lori Goldston's significance lies in her versatility across genres and her role in bridging classical, rock, and experimental music. Her tenure as Nirvana's touring cellist brought her to a wide audience, but her career extends far beyond that, encompassing collaborations with artists such as David Byrne, Mirah, and Earth. She has been commissioned by numerous arts organizations, including On the Boards, the Frye Art Museum, and the Henry Art Gallery, and has composed scores for silent films, dance pieces, and feature films such as Lynn Shelton's *Humpday*. Her improvisational work, often emphasizing pizzicato, reflects influences from Western classical music, folk, jazz, and world music. Goldston's legacy is one of sustained creative output and cross-disciplinary collaboration, with a discography that includes solo albums, ensemble recordings, and session work. Her 2012 Genius Award for Music from *The Stranger* highlighted her unique approach, where she once handed the orchestra written directions rather than sheet music, a move traced to Ornette Coleman.

Did You Know?

• Goldston dropped out of Bennington College before attaining a degree and later described herself as 'rigorously detrained.'
• Goldston appeared as a voiceover artist on *The Dina Martina Holiday Album*, playing the role of Martina's eleven-year-old daughter Phoebe.
• In 2017, she was commissioned to compose and perform a solo acoustic cello score for Étude's Paris Fashion Week runway show.