Dr. Arnstein is well known in the Twin Cities area as a pianist and
composer. He has often served as pianist and harpsichordist with the Minnesota
Orchestra, and has accompanied and recorded with many members of the Twin Cities’
two main orchestras and college music faculties. A winner of international
competitions in both composition and piano, he has toured the Midwest
as pianist and composer-in-residence for the Sylmar Chamber Ensemble,
was a frequent pianist with the Macalester Trio, and is currently an active composer and arranger. He teaches all levels of piano and composition
at the St. Paul Conservatory of Music, the Evergreen School for the Performing Arts in Edina, the Mt. Calvary School of Music in Excelsior, and at his studio in Minneapolis.
He has performed numerous times at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, as
both piano soloist and harpsichord soloist, as accompanist for violinist
Michael Antonello, and as part of the piano trio, Trio di Vita, which
premiered his Trio Jazzico Nostalgico and Scottish Fantasy.
Dr. Arnstein’s compositions include more than a hundred chamber
music works, hundreds of piano solos and duets, songs in English and in French, and music for orchestra
and chorus. His music has been published in both the United States and
Europe.
He has a doctorate in piano from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
a Master's from the University of Illinois-Urbana, and a Bachelor's from
the Manhattan School of Music. He serves as the Twin Cities' Classical Music Examiner for examiner.com, and writes for ehow.com on subjects as diverse as music history, science, and model railroading. He is also a professional copyeditor and writes mystery novels
and short stories.
