“Pure gold.” thus the New York Times described the playing of Leonard Rose, the most successful American-born cellist of his generation. Rose’s knowledge of the instrument was unsurpassed. Every phrase of every piece he recorded—his legacy—continues to sparkle with meaning. His Beethoven and Brahms were noble in style, favoring huge dynamic contrasts and rhythmic freedom. His Schumann and Schubert each had a semblance of epic beauty. His Bach could be transcendently romantic and powerful. His signature concerti had a consistency, accuracy, and no-nonsense approach. And, notably, he performed works by living American composers, a tendency many of his peers shunned. This book examines the multifaceted American cellist and the classical music context that dominated Rose’s twentieth century. Professionally, the era during which he achieved greatness and the direction he chose to pursue could not have been musically richer. While Leonard Rose is a more than worthy solo biographical subject, he felt that the story of his inordinate contact and collaboration with his era’s most renowned musicians was especially valuable for posterity. So my aim in this volume was to showcase Rose among the countless musical figures he affected and those who affected him. From 1979 to 1984, I attained my childhood dream: I had the honor of studying at Juilliard in, as it turned out, Leonard Rose's final class, his final opportunity to imbue a group of young musicians with his powerful mastery of the instrument. Rose was a superb teacher-kind, patient, encouraging, and exacting. I admired him enormously. Few interpersonal experiences rival the intimacy of a master artist's lesson. Rose served as a father figure who bestowed undivided attention to those pupils who desired and warranted it. His verbal instruction may have lacked magic, but the way he played and demonstrated thrilled students. His quest for perfection hovered over every lesson. Rose instilled in us a profound respect for the compositions we studied and a rich knowledge of the heritage he passed down from previous generations. Most vital of all, he bestowed us with infinite inspiration. After his passing in 1984, my admiration for the cellist never faded. Inspired by his eternal aura, in 2005 I decided to solicit written tributes from fellow Rose students. I was curious to learn if others shared a comparable fondness for the man, and if his teaching continued to influence their lives and playing as it still affected mine. The outpouring of responses was enthusiastic and touching. Instead of satiating my curiosity; these remembrances underscored the paucity of widely available information about this extraordinary pedagogue, artist, and human being. I resolved to rectify the literary omission and historical oversight. The result-Leonard Rose: America's Golden Age and Its First Cellist-finally seats Leonard Rose in his proper place in the musical pantheon.