Here’s your weekly dose of cello news.
Cello News
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Q & A with Yo-Yo Ma: On the joys of a record player, the lessons of staying home and how we can change (and save the Earth)
This week The Washington Post published an edited version of the following Instagram interview of Yo-Yo Ma by Geoff Edgers. If you don’t subscribe, you can watch it below. Thanks for this great show (and printed article!), Geoff Edgers!
View this post on Instagram
Cellist Zuill Bailey Performed at Kelly Center for Hunger Relief
Last Saturday, 8 May, Grammy Award-Winning cellist Zuill Bailey performed for the families, volunteers, and staff of the Kelley Center for Hunger Relief in El Paso, Texas.
“It is the mission of El Paso Pro-Musica to provide music to comfort, soothe and heal during the Global Pandemic, both virtually, and socially distanced, with El Pasoans safety as the Number One Priority,” officials shared.
Click here to read the full article.
The Stauffer Center for Strings: The First International Education Center for Strings Opens in Cremona, Italy
The Stauffer Center for Strings, Cremona, Italy. Photo: Matteo Blaschich Studio
The Stauffer Center for Strings, located in Palazzo Stauffer (previously Palazzo Stradiotti), is the first international, fully-integrated music center for the higher education of string music. It is scheduled to be inaugurated on International Music Day this year (1 October).
It will provide training and support to exceptionally talented young string musicians from around the world, with a focus on research, composition, production, management and innovation.
World-class artists will work alongside the current renowned Masters of the Stauffer Academy: Salvatore Accardo (violin), Bruno Giuranna (viola), Antonio Meneses (cello), Franco Petracchi (double bass) and the Quartetto di Cremona.
Get more information on The Stauffer Center for Strings website: stauffer.org.
Read the full article in Classical Music.
Irish Farmers Journal Features Cellist Patrick Dexter: “Co Mayo cellist goes viral with his outdoor performances”
Patrick Dexter with his cello in front of his home in County Mayo, Ireland. Photo: Claire Nash.
Cellist Patrick Dexter dreamed of making a living performing and composing music while living rurally. Something the pandemic forced him to do.
Throughout the pandemic, Irish cellist Patrick Dexter has been making videos outside his home showing the gorgeous landscape of County Mayo, Ireland, in the background.
While there have been many news reports about Dexter, including some radio interviews, this is the most in-depth article we’ve seen to date, and it includes a video showing the area where he lives.
Journey through the Australian outback with cellist Richard Narroway
Cellist Richard Narroway is taking his cello on an adventure aboard The Ghan, an Australian experiential tourism passenger train from Darwin to Adelaide, a journey of almost 2000 miles (just over 3000 km). Funded by the Freedman Classical Fellowship that he won in 2020, he is performing solo repertoire, including works by he is turning this project into a film.
Narroway will perform cello solo for guests on board The Ghan and will entertain locals along the journey. The repertoire is Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards, Kate Moore, Elena Kats Chernin, and two new electroacoustic commissions from Melbourne-based composers Tilman Robinson and Stephen Selios Adam. These works will feature on an upcoming album Narroway will record later in the year.
We look forward to seeing the film and listening to the new recording. Congratulations and bon voyage, Richard Narroway!
Read the full article in The Strad.
Chelsie Lim Wins Grand Prize at Philadelphia International Music Festival
Congratulations to 16-year-old cellist Chelsie Lim of Cresskill, NJ, for winning the Grand Prize in the Philadelphia International Music Festival’s semi-annual Online Concerto Competition!
Lim won a full scholarship to PIMF’s intensive classical music training program this summer, a private recital in Philadelphia, and a featured performance on PIMF’s YouTube channel. She’ll also take the stage next Fall in the PIMF Winners Circle Concert with several members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Click here to read the full article.
R.I.P. Russian Cellist Alexey Seleznev (1955-2021)
From 1982 to 1992 he was a member of the Moskontsert String Quartet. His concert tours took him to many Russian towns and also to Japan, Germany, Austria, China, the USA, Poland, France, Switzerland, Korea, and other countries.
From 1992 to 1996 he appeared in a concert series called the “Three Ages of Cello Sonata” with award-winning Russian pianist Tamara Oganezova. In 1999 Seleznev was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
We offer our condolences to Mr. Seleznev’s family, friends, colleagues, and students.
R.I.P. Alexey Seleznev.
R.I.P. Cellist José Alberto, His Sister Ana Karen, and His Brother, Violinist Luis Ángel González Moreno
The Strad reported the tragic news of the murder of three siblings, one a cellist:
José Alberto, Ana Karen and Luis Ángel González Moreno were kidnapped and killed by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
José Alberto González Moreno, 29, a former cellist with the orchestra of the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG), was killed alongside his 24-year-old sister Ana Karen and 32-year-old brother Luis Ángel, who played the violin.
We send our condolences to their family and friends.
R.I.P. José Alberto, Ana Karen, and Luis Ángel González Moreno.
Click here to read the full story in The Strad.
Podcast
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Ham & High Podcast – Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Videos
Why These Cows are Getting a Cello Concert
Two weeks ago the biggest cello story was about Danish cows listening to performances by cellists from the Scandinavian Cello School, but we couldn’t find a video. Click on the image to see video footage:
Click the image for the CNN video of Danish cows enjoying cello music.
Across the Fence with Elsa Hilger
In March, Jonathan Simmons wrote “A Tribute to Elsa Hilger.” Here is a video he’s recently uploaded with more footage of Hilger. Enjoy!
Bard Conservatory – Faculty Recital: Brahms Sonatas with Erika Switzer, piano and Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Cellist Nadège Rochat – Dmitri Shostakovich, Cello sonata Op. 40 (1934), 1st movement
Queensland Symphony Orchestra – Cello Ensemble: “Danny Boy”
Arranged by Craig Allister Young
Sandeep Das and Mike Block – New Video of “Fight or Flight”
Click the image and scroll down the page to watch.
The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Music – An Evening of Miniatures
Click here for the full program. Several of the pieces include the cello.
Cello Cover by Jodok Vuille – “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
J2 Duo – Cover of “Anyone” by Justin Bieber
NS Design – NS CONNECTLIVE Cello Edition with Greg Byers and Calum Ingram
Your Turn
Have cello news you’d like included? Please get in touch.
