The Violoncello Society of New York was formed in 1956 when the highly acclaimed cellist Mstislav Rostropovich made his New York debut and visited with the VCS Board.

Since then, it has hosted cellists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Philippe Muller, and Miklós Perényi.

Luminaries of the past include Gregor Piatigorsky, Jacqueline du Pré, Janos Starker, Bernard Greenhouse, and Zara Nelsova, as well as the founders of the VCS.