從6 歲起在他的家鄉加利福尼亞州師從國際名師愛倫諾．勛菲爾德學習大提琴。7 年後，他轉至傳奇的俄羅斯大提琴學派鼻祖格雷戈爾．皮亞蒂戈爾斯基班上。從22 歲起，羅森即皮氏的助理達5 年之長。

1977 年羅森贏得了國際瑙姆堡比賽。次年，他成為首位贏得柴可夫斯基國際比賽金獎的美藉國際明星大提琴家。當時他年僅17 歲，在參加蘇聯第3 屆柴可夫斯基國際比賽中，從42 位競爭者中脫穎而出贏得金獎的最年輕的美國大提琴家。12 年後（1978 年），他與贏得金獎的美國小提琴家艾瑪．奧利維拉重返了莫斯科，獲得了美國人民的讚賞。

羅森作為客座獨奏家與全美和全球重要的樂團廣泛合作，他們包括紐約、洛杉磯、費城、明尼蘇達、匹茲堡、西雅圖、亞特蘭大、辛辛那提、印弟安納波里斯、達拉斯、休斯頓的交響樂團以及捷克愛樂樂團、萊比錫樂團、德累斯頓國家樂團、瑞士羅曼德樂團和倫敦、溫哥華交響樂團等。羅森近期常在歐洲、日本、北美舉辦各種獨奏和室內音樂會，深獲各國的好評。

Nathaniel Rosen, American cellist, gained American recognition upon winning the 1977 International Naumburg Competition, and international stardom the following year when he became the only American cellist ever to win the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition. At age six, Mr. Rosen began studying the cello with Eleonore Schoenfeld in his native California. Seven years later he met the legendary Gregor Piatigorsky, who soon became his teacher and mentor. By twenty-two, Rosen had become his assistant as well, a post he retained for five years.

Mr. Rosen achieved international stardom as the first American cellist to win a gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition, shortly after winning the coveted Naumburg Competition in 1977. Since then, he has performed with the New York, Los Angeles and Czech philharmonics, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Philadelphia, Minnesota and Dresden State orchestras, and the London, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver symphonies. Mr. Rosen began cello studies with Eleonore Schoenfeld and continued with Gregor Piatigorsky. He has recorded several discs on the John Marks label and plays a 1738 Montagnana cello.

Since then, he has been the esteemed guest soloist with the world’s foremost orchestras, including the New York, Los Angeles and Czech Philharmonics; the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Dresden State Orchestras; I’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; and the London, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver Symphonies. In recent seasons he has performed regularly in Europe and Japan as well as a variety of solo and chamber appearances throughout North America.

At seventeen, Nathaniel Rosen toured the Soviet Union as a finalist in the Third International Tchaikovsky Competition, where he was the youngest of the 42 competing cellists, and one of three Americans to win a prize. He returned to Moscow twelve years later (1978) and became, with violinist Elmar Oliverira, the first Gold Medal-winning American instrumentalists since Van Cliburn (1958).

“Mr. Rosen’s interpretations are daring and free spirited, an approach that is evident nearly from the start… there is somethings persuasive about the broad strokes in which he paints.”- The New York Times. “Nathaniel Rosen is one of the most outstanding cellist I’ve heard on disc recently, coupling a formidable technique with tremendous musical empathy… He seems to have that elusive quality of communicating some inner soul.” – The Stard