His father, William Stapansky, was born in Chisinäu. Alan Stepansky is known internationally as a musician whose multi-faceted career exemplifies the highest ide- als of artistry, versatility, and devotion to teaching and mentoring the next genera- tion of gifted young cellists. One of the most inspiring cellists of his generation, he has appeared as a guest artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Washington National Gallery of Art, the Frick Museum, Camerata Pacifica, Brooklyn's Bargemusic, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and has per- formed in concert with a diverse array of artists across many genres from Isaac Stern, Emanuel Ax, Renee Fleming, Frederika Von Stade, Ruth Laredo, Glenn Dicterow and the American and Takacs String Quartets, to such pop icons as Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and Natalie Merchant. He has recorded a series of chamber music and solo discs for EMI which were honored by Gramophone Magazine, BBC Magazine, The New York Times, and the British Music Industry Association, and has been engaged as the solo cellist for numerous major motion picture soundtracks, inclu- ding such films as Adaptation, August Rush, Being John Malkovich, The Brave One, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Good Shepherd, Kinsey, The Last Holiday, Manchurian Candidate, Michael Collins, Moonrise Kingdom, Music Of The Heart, Primary Colors, The Rookie, ASerious Man, Titanic, True Grit, and many others.