September 11, 2008 Cellist Alisa Weilerstein was born into a musical family with a love for chamber music. hide caption. This is important for any musician. WebExplore Alisa Weilerstein's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010. You have to have a willingness to collaborate. Her Thats the beauty of it. She started playing the cello at age four. Her repertory is wide but has been marked by a focus on contemporary music. She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. 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. She lives with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their young child. It felt a little bit all right, it felt a lot risky to give her a piece about coffee like that, Moya said. As a child prodigy, Ma performed for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was only seven years old. Meet Fragments, a project whose first installment of six Weilerstein will perform at Zankel Hall on April 1. Concert matines: opens at 9 a.m. She mentioned that her first cello was a cereal box with a chopstick for a bow! Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your consent. 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. Its familiar, theres such a child-like purity to it, says 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? For aspiring classical musicians, what kind of advice can you offer other than practice, practice, practice? WebAlisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Weilerstein at the Fragments premiere in Toronto. Housing & Homelessness. I certainly didnt want that and no one around me wanted that for me. Allegro molto vivace 11:54 Golijov: Omaramor For Solo Cello 8:14 Alisa Weilerstein (cello) Recorded: 2012-10-14 Recording Venue: Teldex Studio, Berlin Conversation Alisa Weilerstein on what it means to be a classical musician Music , Beginnings, Collaboration, Process From a conversation with T. Cole Rachel April 19, There are only a few weeks of the year when Im not on the road. My management was very careful to get me as much experience as I needed without overexposing me or taking over my life. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Box-Office Hours 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. September 17, 2010 The young cellist plays Bach with elegance, and takes us through the backstreets of Buenos Aires with a gripping performance of Omaramor, Osvaldo Golijov's tribute to tango singer Carlos Gardel. 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. (1988) and When Alisa Met Elliott (2012). That's an honor and a litmus test which Barenboim has only granted one other artist: Yo-Yo Ma. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Today her career is truly global in scope, taking her to the most prestigious international venues for solo recitals, chamber concerts and concerto collaborations with all the preeminent conductors and orchestras worldwide. Theres a lot of things that classical music does uniquely well, and its important to preserve those things, Weilerstein said. Alisa Weilerstein: From Bach To The Backstreets Of Buenos Aires. Alisa Weilerstein (Cello) Born: April 18, 1982 - Rochester, New York, USA The American cellist, Alisa Weilerstein, was born into a musical family: she is the Dont do it for anybody else. 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 September 20, 2011 Hear the young cellist discuss her new award and watch her play at the NPR offices. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. I always hated it when people would try to label me in any way. I think its a fantastic resource, and he writes so beautifully. April 19, 2017 - Alisa Weilerstein is an American classical cellist who began performing professionally at the age of 13. The perspective gives you something. I came to Aspen, I think, for 16 summers of my first 18 years of life, so I spent a lot of my formative years here, so it really feels like another home to me. This site uses cookies to offer you the best possible experience. June 16, 2010 Musicians at the 2010 Spoleto Festival U.S.A. bring out the "Gypsy" in Haydn and Brahms. She was recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011. Weilerstein's artistry comes naturally. So to return to it was actually really wonderful, because I found all sorts of new things in it. Its not about expressing the performers personality, but that inevitably happens. Yes, that is weird. 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. She was just an incredibly encouraging presence. 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. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, one of the newest MacArthur "geniuses." Those were the kind of stories you heard. I got management early on. You have to be in good shape to play the instrument well. Veterans Pension Benefits (Aid & Attendance). 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. Jamie Jung At this point in your career, how do you define success? Pentatone's sound is a bit too close but catches the intensity and the controlled spontaneity of these readings. We were just working together, and I wanted to be a better musician and a better cellist. I was 14 when I went with my manager. Without real love and doggedness and tenacity, its still nearly impossible. to a secular Jewish family. This is always the subject of debatewhat is the role of the performer? This website uses cookies to improve your experience when you browse the website. So Fragments is not, thankfully, another addition to the increasingly pass genre of response programming, in which composers are commissioned to write works on the dispiriting condition that they must speak to a piece by the masters of the past. 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. We also use third party cookies which help us analyze and understand how you use this website. hide caption. The perspective gives you something. 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. But this project is intended to reimagine what a cello recital can be, to challenge some of the conventions that Weilerstein thinks might inhibit a listeners immediate response to the music, and to add layers of theatricality to the arguably staid traditions of the concert hall, in an acceptance that a musician is, after all, performing on a stage. The helpful thing is that a lot of repertoires that I have to play are repertoires that Ive done before. Her discography also includes chart-topping albums and the winner ofBBC Musics Recording of the Year award. Because its hard enough, even when you love it. Her brother is also a conductor and violinist. Weilerstein avoids the dance rhythms for the most part, but sometimes, when they serve her purposes, they show up, and the surfaces are strikingly variegated. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. Theres also something beautiful and important about presenting different composers side by side, and behind a curtain, so that youre not focusing on their name, or whether or not theyre Bach.. 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. WebAlisa Weilerstein is known for If I Stay (2014), P.O.V. Visita nuestra pgina web en espaol. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. hide caption. Its about communicating ideas which are inexpressible in words. William Struhs FC: So you were just an infant-in-arms for a while, and you started playing cello when you were four. You try to treat the score as something thats living and breathing, and therefore, malleable. As Artistic Partner of the Trondheim Soloists, she regularly tours and records with the Norwegian orchestra. Who are any of us next to Mozart? What does the idea of creative freedom mean when youre a classical musician? It gives you a totally new tool. For example, as recently as November, Weilerstein still planned to perform the complete Bach suites for cello in Santa Barbara in April of 2021. AW: No, because I was three months old. 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. So you budget accordingly. FC: And you mentioned Dorothy DeLay, who's a legendary violin teacher at Julliard and here in Aspen. You also have to deal with the traveling, which is very tough on the body. This is, therefore, a Romantic and very exciting set of cello suites. I do that with great repertoires a lot. Certain aspects of it may be familiar. courtesy of the artist AllMusic relies heavily on JavaScript. Webby James Manheim. 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. Its a nice challenge to have. For the first chapter of Alisa Weilerstein s groundbreaking project for solo cello, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, J. S. Bachs First Cello Suite is woven together with new works, responsive lighting, and scenic architecture, inviting audiences into an immersive, multisensory experience. I had a real life. Thats a constant discussion. All Rights Reserved. Do you even remember the first time you were here? I tend to say yes too often, but Im trying to get better at that. Going to hear a concert and not looking at whats on the program and not knowing what comes next those have been some of my deepest and most revealing listening experiences, Shaw said. Luckily, I didnt ever have that fear. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Elina will 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. The range of interpretive choices facing performers of Bach's Suites for solo cello, BWV 1007-1012, is vast. Alisa Weilerstein performs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. Concert evenings: noon to 8 p.m. Brava, brava, brava! If there's such a thing as cello mojo, Alisa Weilerstein has it. clip-path:url(#SVGID_2_); She will perform a Bach suite in its entirety, and she will play it with her typical, heartfelt passion. When did you come here as a cello student? Jamie Jung/Courtesy of the artist She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. Carlos Kleibers live recording of Brahms 2nd Symphony reminds me of what utter joy and inspiration sounds (and looks!) 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.. 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. .st0{ Playing the cello actually takes tremendous upper body strength. Its tricky, especially if its a composer like Beethoven, who was specific about what he wanted. 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. Gerardo Antonio Sanchez Torres/courtesy of the artist hide caption. 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. Jamie Jung I thought the connotations of being considered a prodigy implied living a very different life than the one I lived. Weilersteins cello is her id. Alisa Weilerstein is an American cellist who started playing the cello at a young age. 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.. 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. She made her debut at age 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme. If you have played these pieces many times, as I have, this is the sort of thing you crave. In Alisa Weilersteins groundbreaking, multi-year performance series FRAGMENTS, new music by some of the most compelling composers of our time meets Video by John Francis Weilerstein did set some rules. 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. Since Alisa Weilerstein was just 6, the three have performed together around the globe as the Weilerstein Trio. Since Alisa Weilerstein was just 6, the three have performed together around the globe as the Weilerstein Trio. 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. At least I dont.. But disabling some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. She collaborated with conductor Daniel Barenboim, whose late wife, Jacqueline du Pre, was the standard-bearer for this work. Weilerstein was born in Rochester, New York. She and the cello seem simply to be one and the same, agrees the Los Angeles Times. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a But for this upcoming performance, itll be my first time that I play it without a conductor, so it should be interesting. The Prelude of the Cello Suite No. Lucio Lecce/courtesy of the artist For anyone in the classical music world, being able to expose other people to these great works is always something you hope to do. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Entertainment & Arts. She has been married to Rafael Payare since 2013. To be included with these amazing people, that, for me, was the biggest honor. There is no end point. Literally. Then you come back to it with a new and fresh perspective. There may be people, Weilerstein admits, who are put off by even a modest staging, or by her tinkering with performance traditions. Its nice, and of course, its a great honor. As a soloist she has performed with a number of other major orchestras on four continents. 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. I am traveling almost all the time. Do it for no other reason than that you love it and cant imagine doing anything else. People might not realize that the further you go in this business, the more travel is absolutely a part of the job description. What did she as a violin teacher have to offer you? How did you feel about that at the time? Labels are generally very, very unhelpful. September 23, 2011 A "genius" cellist, more protesting letters from London, Iraqi musicians go to Germany, and dreams of "comfort sounds" series: All the news that's fit to link. Even when I was a very, sort of, unruly teenager, I still realized what he was telling me was good, so I took it (laughs). Its very hard to write anything for solo cello and not have some subconscious relationship to Bach.. 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. Theres this idea that we have a literal script in front of us. This means people can now refer to you as a genius in an official capacity. It gives you a totally new tool. Jamie Jung He was Dad (laughs). Bach was not available for consultation, but she is subjecting his suites to the same treatment. Ive found that my happiest collaborations with conductors, where Im playing a concerto with them, have been times where you come together from very, very different places. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 1600 Saint-Urbain Street, Cellist Alisa Weilerstein plays Bach and Golijov at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. To keep growing with them. There are myriad reasons, of course, Weilerstein said, exploring the apparent divergence in the fields, but there is one very fundamental thing, which is, you walk into an exhibition, you see the painting or you see the work of art before anything, and it can hit you right where it needs to hit and then you can find out all the context around it. Law Office of Gretchen J. Kenney is dedicated to offering families and individuals in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, excellent legal services in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, including Long-Term Care Planning, Probate/Trust Administration, and Conservatorships from our San Mateo, California office. For reasons she cant explain, she was instantly attracted to the instrument as a small child. Weilerstein and Jason Yoder ( marimba) perform Camille Saint-Sans 's "Le cygne" (The Swan) from The Carnival of the Animals at the White House Evening of Classical Music (November 2009) Problems playing these files? See media help. Alisa Weilerstein (born April 14, 1982) is an American classical cellist. She was named a 2011 MacArthur Fellow. [1] December 22, 2012 The albums that sum up our year span genres and borders. March 24, 2023 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 From Astro to Wadada Leo Smith, Fiona Apple to Frank Ocean, here are 50 albums that made 2012 great. I havent played the Elgar in a long time. She will be there, playing solo. 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. WebAbout Alisa Weilerstein. 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. 2, BWV 1008, that begins the second part (the second CD for physical buyers) is then especially free and introductory in quality.