We are proud to present a CelloBello live-streamed event! Join us on Thursday by clicking on the link below: www.cellobello.org/blog/cellostream Ralph Kirshbaum Master Class New England Conservatory, Pierce Hall Thursday, Oct. 20, 7-10 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) CelloBello is pleased to continue presenting master classes live, as it happens!
Pieter Wispelwey, Cello We are proud to present a CelloBello milestone - our first live-streamed event! Join us by clicking on the link below: www.cellobello.org/blog/cellostream Pieter Wispelwey Master Class New England Conservatory, Pierce Hall Wednesday, Sept. 28, 3-6 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Repertoire: Bach Suites 1, 3 and 6. Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, featuring cellist Tony Rymer. CelloBello is so pleased to be able to present this master class live, as it happens - our first in a planned series of streamed events!
I wanted to take a break from behind-the-scenes administrative reporting to share a recent concert experience that might be of interest to those who like to “geek out” about all things cello-related. It might have been Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in Sex and the City (not that I ever watched the show…) who noted that one of the best things about living in New York City is getting out of it once in a while. So on a scorching July weekend it was invigorating to drive well beyond the numbered streets and convene with eleven other cellists in the town of Hunter, New York—home to some of the highest peaks in the Catskill Mountains. The simplicity of this village and nearby Tannersville was a quaint contrast to Manhattan. The Catskills [...]
The other day in my studio class, an excellent question was brought up by one of the students. How do we use the recordings of artists for study purposes? What is the right way and amount to listen to these recordings? How much imitation is acceptable? Can it be somehow detrimental? We had a wonderful discussion where everyone chimed in to share their experiences and thoughts about this question. It is a very important issue to be thinking about, considering how much easier it is to be downloading recordings than attending concerts these days. There are so many ways to collect many different versions of a piece one is interested in. Also, we can listen to it as many times and at any time of the day as we please. [...]
During my preparation for playing a faculty recital at NEC’s Jordan Hall at the end of March, I found myself thinking a lot about the challenges of maintaining a teaching and performing career. I always find it the most challenging to play for the “home crowd,” especially students and colleagues, because I hope that I will in some way be able to “practice what I preach.” As a cello teacher my listening is focused on how a phrase could be played in a different, more compelling way, and how technique can serve the music. I find that turning my critical teaching ear on myself can inspire me but also paralyze me, because while I am playing I am hearing all the possibilities for doing it better: all the ways I have taught [...]