FC: So you were just an infant-in-arms for a while, and you started playing cello when you were four. Born in New York to a violinist father and pianist mother, she grew up and eventually formed the Weilerstein Trio with her parents. She doesnt give the impression that making music involves will at all. Who are any of us next to Mozart? .st0{ A Cellist Breaks Music Into Fragments, Then Connects Them Entertainment & Arts. Dont do it for anybody else. It didnt last. Concert matines: opens at 9 a.m. Im constantly trying to budget my time properly so that I have enough time and head space to really work on the things that I need to do in a practical sense, but also grow as an artist. Having scoured the internet to survey the new-music scene, and consulted with past collaborators including Osvaldo Golijov and Matthias Pintscher, Weilerstein invited 28 composers to participate. Her Sarabandes are extraordinary, very slow (a lot of the high time total is racked up here) without being emotionally overwrought: they are deeply meditative. Jamie Jung In this interview from the Harris Hall stage in Aspen, Performance Today's Fred Child talks with renowned cellist Alisa Weilerstein about the Aspen experience, and what the school and festival means to her. Visita nuestra pgina web en espaol. Her discography also includes chart-topping albums and the winner ofBBC Musics Recording of the Year award. WebAbout Alisa Weilerstein. 1 888 842-9951. Weilerstein was born in Rochester, New York. to a secular Jewish family. She started playing the cello at age four. She made her debut at age 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky 's Variations on a Rococo Theme. As a soloist she has performed with a number of other major orchestras on four continents. For me, it didnt matter whether I was playing in front of people or not. I thought the connotations of being considered a prodigy implied living a very different life than the one I lived. You received the MacArthur Grant. Most classical musicians regard his work as sacred in terms of really abiding by exactly what he wrote, in terms of dynamic markings and tempi and that sort of thing. hide caption. This website uses cookies to improve your experience when you browse the website. Theres a lot of things that classical music does uniquely well, and its important to preserve those things, Weilerstein said. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. hide caption. But disabling some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. fill: #000; Here's a space to search our entire website. Fragments is an attempt to fix a problem, Weilerstein said of relying too much on our old models of presenting, especially when it comes to new music.. These cookies do not store any personal information. With her multi-season new project, FRAGMENTS, Weilerstein aims to rethink the concert experience and broaden the tent for classical music. theres no substitute for time away. Also, you cant be afraid of performing. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010. For example, the Schumann concerto Ive played many times. She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. Weilerstein at the Fragments premiere in Toronto. How many of us do that, where we look at the bio, were making assumptions about gender, race, nationality, compositional precedent, who where their teachers, and when were they born?, The aim, she added, is to strip as much of that presumptive meaning as possible away, so that listeners can follow Weilersteins attempts to create new meaning in her musical quilts, and dare to embark on this journey of not knowing, and allow it to be OK.. Luckily, I didnt ever have that fear. Since Alisa Weilerstein was just 6, the three have performed together around the globe as the Weilerstein Trio. hide caption. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. When youre playing with someone new, do differences in interpretation ever cause problems? It gives you a totally new tool. Alisa Weilerstein performs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. courtesy of the artist She made her debut at age 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme. Jamie Jung Alisa Weilerstein - Orchestre symphonique de Montral Gerardo Antonio Sanchez Torres/courtesy of the artist In general, Weilerstein's approach is deliberate and detailed, more reminiscent of Mstislav Rostropovich than of the members of her own family with whom she plays chamber music. She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. I just want to have a kind of outpouring of music, of thoughts, and everything else, she told The New York Times then. She lives with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their young child. Her discography also includes chart-topping albums and the winner of BBC Musics Recording of the Year award, while other career milestones include a performance at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. AW: I was 13 when I first came as a student, so that was 1995, and I studied with David Finckel, and also, I played for Dorothy DeLay quite a lot. Group Sales Request View Seating Chart (PDF) Reisers set stays constant, a deconstructed theater arrayed so that it evokes soloists constant struggles to create a room of ones own as they travel the worlds halls, Pulitzer said, and at the same time reawakens the spaces for the people who are familiar with them. Each composer has a specific lighting color, to give a sense of which fragments combine to make wholes. I realized that what he was telling me was very valuable. She has evidently thought hard about how contemporary composers can be given a fairer chance to break through to audiences, especially to those people for whom contemporary art, say, is an easier ask. Alisa Weilerstein : NPR Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. People assume that this is the only thing you know how to do, or that your talent is a kind of idiot-savant type of thing. Celebrity Series of Boston There is no end point. Anyone can read what you share. But if both of us are open to different orientations or interpretations, that can yield a really interesting interpretation and performance. Then you come back to it with a new and fresh perspective. Weilerstein recently premiered Joan Towers new cello concerto, A New Day, at the Colorado Music Festival. Alisa Weilerstein is a young cellist whose emotionally resonant performances of both traditional and contemporary music have earned her international recognition. September 15, 2010 The young cellist plays Bach with elegance, and takes listeners through the back streets of Buenos Aires with a gripping performance of Omaramor. Alisa Weilerstein FC: Was it hard playing at home for your dad - this world-famous violinist - when you were just learning how to play the cello? Alisa Weilersteins latest project is a series of staged solo recitals that weave Bachs cello suites with newly commissioned works. She will be there, playing solo. At this point in your career, how do you define success? Its filled with really, really good information. I also always enjoyed playing for non-cellists in addition to cellists, because I always found they gave me great perspective and I grew up practicing with my father who was a great violinist, of course, and I was quite used to that. clip-path:url(#SVGID_2_); Her FC: You spent a lot of time at Aspen as a very young girl. Its very hard to write anything for solo cello and not have some subconscious relationship to Bach.. She and the cello seem simply to be one and the same, agrees the Los Angeles Times. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. However, even with a very specific composer like that, there is tremendous room for interpretation. Her father, Donald, was the longtime first violinist with the fine Cleveland Quartet, and her mother, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, is an equally well-regarded pianist. Alisa Weilerstein - Biography - IMDb These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your consent. You have to be in good shape to play the instrument well. The other goal that I have is to try to help create a twenty-first century repertoire for the cello, much in the way that Rostropovich did in the twentieth century. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein Its familiar, theres such a child-like purity to it, says Weilerstein. I want to keep fostering relationships with composers, help expand our repertoire, and create a cornerstones of twenty-first century repertoire. Theres the potential for a really deep kind of collaboration with them, which is kind of unique. Its tricky, especially if its a composer like Beethoven, who was specific about what he wanted. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein Talks Carnegie Hall WWD The newly renovated Dock Street Theater in Charleston, S.C., plays host to Gypsy-inspired sounds. This is the philosophy behind the project, fundamentally: connecting the pieces, connecting the voices of our time together, connecting the familiar and the new, connecting this music with the audience without the barrier of so much contextualization, categorization, bias, all of these things., And connecting, she added, our contemporary world with the concert format. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, one of the newest MacArthur "geniuses." Its not about expressing the performers personality, but that inevitably happens. So each of the six programs, which Weilerstein will offer over the next few seasons, will have a dramaturgical element: Hanako Yamaguchi, the former, longtime director of music programming at Lincoln Center, is her artistic adviser, and her production team includes the director Elkhanah Pulitzer, the set and lighting designer Seth Reiser, and the costumer Carlos J. Soto. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. As a child prodigy, Ma performed for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was only seven years old. Her brother is also a conductor and violinist. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I was interested in other things. Certain aspects of it may be familiar. That's an honor and a litmus test which Barenboim has only granted one other artist: Yo-Yo Ma. The work is better as a result. What does the idea of creative freedom mean when youre a classical musician? Weilerstein's artistry comes naturally. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. An authority on Bachs music for unaccompanied cello, Weilerstein recently released a best-selling recording of his solo suites on the Pentatone label, streamed them in her innovative #36DaysOfBach project, and deconstructed his beloved G-major prelude in a Vox.com video, viewed almost 1.5 million times. Learn all about Alisa Weilerstein on AllMusic. December 4, 2012 The celebrated young American cellist walks us through her recording of this "devastating" concerto written just after the end of World War I. This is what its about for me., A Cellist Breaks Music Into Fragments, Then Connects Them, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/arts/music/alisa-weilerstein-fragments-cellist.html. If there's such a thing as cello mojo, Alisa Weilerstein has it. Thats an important skill, unless you are someone who only plays alone always, you have to be able to communicate. To shed the Rorschach inclination towards finding meaning in the program before hearing the music was a really important piece of the puzzle, Pulitzer said. Not only did she make her Carnegie Hall debut at age 15 and perform for President Obama in 2009, last year she was also chosen by conductor Daniel Barenboim to perform the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic. This is, therefore, a Romantic and very exciting set of cello suites. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. This site uses cookies to offer you the best possible experience. Literally. You can also deactivate these cookies. When the cellist Alisa Weilerstein found herself cooped up with her family at the start of the pandemic, her first instinct, like that of so many classical musicians, was to find some way any way to communicate. But he had this remarkable - actually both my parents did, but especially my father because I worked more intensely with him between the time I was 9 and 15. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine, Weilerstein is a staunch advocate for the T1D community. Alisa Weilerstein Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. I also have a young daughter, who is 11 months old. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. This means people can now refer to you as a genius in an official capacity. Ive been looking forward to working with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra because they dont play like a typical orchestra with a conductor at the head, in which case you just follow the conductors beat. They have one child. Cello virtuoso Alisa Weilerstein is always Fresh, moving, timeless, and some of the most beautiful writing I can think of. What do you think of as being the most important creative resources for doing what you do? For example, as recently as November, Weilerstein still planned to perform the complete Bach suites for cello in Santa Barbara in April of 2021. As Artistic Partner of the Trondheim Soloists, she regularly tours and records with the Norwegian orchestra. She joined the artists who found solace on social media, streaming a movement of Bachs cello suites each day, for 36 days in a row. Already an authority on Bachs music for unaccompanied cello, in spring 2020 Weilerstein released a best-selling recording of his solo suites on the Pentatone label, streamed them in her innovative #36DaysOfBach project, and deconstructed his beloved G-major prelude in a Vox.com video, viewed more than two million times. May 27, 2011 A consummate artist even before she was out of her teens, 29-year-old Alisa Weilerstein has already been granted extraordinary opportunities, from playing for President Obama to taking on an iconic musical assignment. Alisa Weilerstein Alisa Weilerstein always knew that she wanted to be a cellist. She left the choice up to them. To be included with these amazing people, that, for me, was the biggest honor. Earlier in their careers, Moya and Payare both played in the Simn Bolvar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, a country that has such an addiction to caffeine that it has a precise linguistic taxonomy for coffee and its functions. As We were just working together, and I wanted to be a better musician and a better cellist. From there to the regal quality of the third and the life affirming and nostalgic quality of the sixth. The second disc delves into the darker Suites. Do you even remember the first time you were here? Hablas espaol? The perspective gives you something. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Concert evenings: noon to 8 p.m. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Alisa Weilerstein: From Bach To The Backstreets Of Buenos Aires. Shes collaborated with many artists over the years and performed at well-known venues and schools all over the world, as well as being a solo cellist. Lucio Lecce/courtesy of the artist Renown cellist will play three of Bach's 'Unaccompanied Cello Lifestyle. Im still going to always try to improve as an artist and to be a more insightful interpreter. Just making sure to get enough sleep, and to have enough space in between engagements, those are things Im not too good at. Interlude (1988) and When Alisa Met Elliott (2012). Allegro molto vivace 11:54 Golijov: Omaramor For Solo Cello 8:14 Alisa Weilerstein (cello) Recorded: 2012-10-14 Recording Venue: Teldex Studio, Berlin September 11, 2008 Cellist Alisa Weilerstein was born into a musical family with a love for chamber music. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein has appeared with leading orchestras all over the U.S. and Europe and has played chamber music with her parents, both well-known performers, in the Weilerstein Trio. Since Alisa Weilerstein was just 6, the three have performed together around the globe as the Weilerstein Trio. Monday to Friday: noon to 5 p.m. Now, the youngest Weilerstein's profile as a soloist is being kicked into high gear. Alisa Weilerstein - IMDb Housing & Homelessness. WebAlisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. February 16, 2012 Positioned above a tank full of stingrays at the National Aquarium, Weilerstein used her cello to serenade sea creatures (and many pleasantly surprised visitors) with music by Johann Sebastian Bach. to a secular Jewish family. There was a temptation to write something really virtuosic, really out there, really avant-garde, said Reinaldo Moya, one of the more junior composers in Weilersteins group, because youre not going to have the chance to work with a soloist of that caliber every time. AW: No, she actually offered quite a lot of technical advice because - contrary to popular belief - the violin and the cello are really not that different, it's actually the same but just reversed. Im always juggling a lot of repertoire at the same time, which requires a lot of rehearsal. She knew exactly what to do and what not to do with a young person. Its a balance we have to strive forto protect what the composer intended, yet keep the music alive so it doesnt become a museum piece, or simply an archive. William Struhs Alisa Weilerstein - New York Philharmonic Adagio (Con gran espressione) 12:35 3. This is important for any musician. People might not realize that the further you go in this business, the more travel is absolutely a part of the job description. She asked that the new pieces be about 10 minutes long, and that they come in two or three fragments that she could intersperse with other scores without violating the meaning of the music. Thats a great advantage of playing these real masterworks, because theyre so rich in detail that you can always find something new, no matter how many times youve played them. It certainly made things easier to not have that fear, to not have to unload that fear or deal with it. | Disclaimer | Sitemap 15 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Cello Players Of All Time FC: And you mentioned Dorothy DeLay, who's a legendary violin teacher at Julliard and here in Aspen. Playing the cello actually takes tremendous upper body strength. Alisa Weilerstein Veterans Pension Benefits (Aid & Attendance). He had this incredible way of distancing himself when we were working together, so it never felt like I was, sort of, battling a parent. Its a balance we have to strive forto protect what the composer intended, yet keep the music alive so it doesnt become a museum piece, or simply an archive. I know many people who say, I got inspired by such-and-such conductor when my school took me on a field trip to hear a concert, or such-and-such musician came to my school, and then I knew I loved classical music. The goal is not necessarily that theyll all become musicians, but just that this music will be part of their lives. WEILERSTEIN HAS NEVER had the reputation of being a new-music specialist, but she has given her fair share of premieres, and few of her colleagues on the international circuit can list anything so bold as her recording of Elliott Carters Cello Concerto on their discographies. So you budget accordingly. I count myself incredibly lucky in that respector maybe I was just very stupid, I dont knowthat I wasnt afraid to be in front of people. If theres a piece that Ive been playing over and over again, its very helpful to put it away for a while. I do that with great repertoires a lot. The goal is always to know these scores better, to truly, The Creative Independent is ad-free and published by, Master Class (esk filharmonie / Czech Philharmonic), Rachmaninovs Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor. For aspiring classical musicians, what kind of advice can you offer other than practice, practice, practice? Her Sarabandes are extraordinary, very slow (a lot of the high time total is racked up here) without being emotionally overwrought: they are deeply meditative. The 27 who agreed including Tania Len, Joan Tower, Carlos Simon and Daniel Kidane make up a roster that is remarkably diverse demographically and stylistically, but almost all of them asked if they should write with specific reference to Bach, Weilerstein recalled. She also is active in chamber music and performs with her parents, violinist Donald Weilerstein (the founding first violinist of the Cleveland Quartet) and pianist Vivian .st0{fill:#000;}. December 22, 2012 The albums that sum up our year span genres and borders. Those were the kind of stories you heard. Webby James Manheim. AW: Well he was just my dad to me, I mean, he wasn't this world famous violinist. Alisa Weilerstein is an American classical cellist who began performing professionally at the age of 13. Carlos Kleibers live recording of Brahms 2nd Symphony reminds me of what utter joy and inspiration sounds (and looks!) So thats how I always looked at it. Brava, brava, brava! The goal is always to know these scores better, to truly live with the great masterworkslike the Bach Suites, for example. Human beings are far more complex. Alisa Weilerstein | The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Violinist Livia Sohn, pianist Inon Barnatan, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and violist Barry Shiffman (not pictured) dig into the the Gypsy-influenced Piano Quartet, Op. Meet Fragments, a project whose first installment of six Weilerstein will perform at Zankel Hall on April 1. Her repertory is wide but has been marked by a focus on contemporary music. I was never subjected to abuse or was made to practice 10 hours a day while locked up. Come that November, Weilerstein had put her cello away, and she was taking long walks on the beaches near her home in San Diego instead of practicing. She was recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011. April 19, 2017 - Alisa Weilerstein is an American classical cellist who began performing professionally at the age of 13. There are only a few weeks of the year when Im not on the road. Climate & Environment. He was the muse for Shostakovich and Prokofiev, and he premiered over a thousand works over the course of his lifetime. Alisa Weilerstein | Opus 3 Artists I read a lot of books. Law Firm Website Design by Law Promo, What Clients Say About Working With Gretchen Kenney. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at nine years old, Weilerstein is a staunch advocate for the T1D community. My management was very careful to get me as much experience as I needed without overexposing me or taking over my life. For details on how we use cookies, see our. She has been married to Rafael Payare since 2013. She lives with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their two young children. Alisa Weilerstein (1982-) Alisa Weilerstein. AW: No, because I was three months old. Jamie Jung/Courtesy of the artist AT FIRST GLANCE, Fragments might appear to be another of Weilersteins explorations of Bach, a successor to her all-in-one-night performances of the six suites, her emotive recording of them on the Pentatone label and her pandemic streaming series. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Cecilia BartoliI love virtually everything she does. She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. Alisa Weilerstein Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | AllMusic My parents were very conscious to give me as close to a normal childhood as possible, so I had friends, played outside, went to normal school. For that reason, the lack of program notes before the lights go dark, the audience will be given only the most basic information about the project, and the names of the composers they will hear is a core part of Fragments, and a sign, its creators said, that, for all the deliberate, thoughtful artifice, the focus is on the music. For anyone in the classical music world, being able to expose other people to these great works is always something you hope to do. Nobody would say otherwise, but I try not to pay too much attention to that. Business. Weilerstein was born in Rochester, New York. Since making her professional and Carnegie Hall debuts in her early teens, she has been in high demand as a solo Bach was not available for consultation, but she is subjecting his suites to the same treatment. In Alisa Weilersteins groundbreaking, multi-year performance series FRAGMENTS, new music by some of the most compelling composers of our time meets Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. I also heard of other people of my generation being called a prodigy as if they were simply a precocious kid. May 22, 2022 6 AM PT Balancing an infant with a whirlwind career as one of classical musics most in-demand cellists comes easily for Alisa Weilerstein. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. You also have to deal with the traveling, which is very tough on the body. For example, Im about to play the Elgar concerto with the National Symphony in Russia. We all had a lot of time to think about what it means to really connect with an audience, what it means to connect with each other, and an appreciation for being in one communal space.. There will be limited program notes in advance, little to guide listeners except their ears and eyes through a collagelike narrative arc assembled from musical fragments. You try to treat the score as something thats living and breathing, and therefore, malleable. In general, Weilerstein's approach is deliberate and detailed, more reminiscent of Mstislav Rostropovich than of the members of her own family with whom she plays chamber music. like. A multisensory production for solo cello, the six-chapter series sees her weave together the 36 movements of Bachs solo cello suites with 27 new commissions. She has been married to Rafael Payare since 2013. Its a constant challenge, too. hide caption. After premiering the first two chapters in Toronto in early 2023, with subsequent performances at New Yorks Carnegie Hall and beyond, she looks forward to touring all six chapters in seasons to come.