Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For Shaw, that was part of the attraction of Fragments, beyond the obvious appeal of writing for a soloist whose visible commitment expresses such a clear love of music. This is, therefore, a Romantic and very exciting set of cello suites. Theres a lot of things that classical music does uniquely well, and its important to preserve those things, Weilerstein said. Brava, brava, brava! She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. WebAlisa Weilerstein. Alisa Weilersteins new project, Fragments, comes to Zankel Hall on April 1. But for this upcoming performance, itll be my first time that I play it without a conductor, so it should be interesting. So you budget accordingly. I got management early on. She knew exactly what to do and what not to do with a young person. I was interested in other things. Alisa Weilerstein: From Bach To The Backstreets Of Buenos Aires. hide caption. Webby James Manheim. 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). 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 clip-path:url(#SVGID_2_); Weilerstein did set some rules. Some did, she said, and some very much did not.. For reasons she cant explain, she was instantly attracted to the instrument as a small child. FC: So you were just an infant-in-arms for a while, and you started playing cello when you were four. Thats the beauty of it. Lucio Lecce/courtesy of the artist Allegro molto vivace 11:54 Golijov: Omaramor For Solo Cello 8:14 Alisa Weilerstein (cello) Recorded: 2012-10-14 Recording Venue: Teldex Studio, Berlin As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Literally. Do you even remember the first time you were here? Montreal (Quebec) H2X 0S1, Customer Service Hours 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010. Im going to give you a similar answer to what I would say about the label of prodigy. Of course, these labels are flattering. 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. The trio currently resides at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Her brother is the violinist and conductor Joshua Weilerstein (born in 1987). She is married to Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare. [5] Weilerstein has received a number of honors. 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. To everyones credit, I think, everyone is wrestling with this issue, Weilerstein said in a recent interview from Toronto. 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. Jamie Jung I realized that what he was telling me was very valuable. She made her debut at age 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme. Alisa Weilerstein is a young cellist whose emotionally resonant performances of both traditional and contemporary music have earned her international recognition. Food. I always hated it when people would try to label me in any way. She has been married to Rafael Payare since 2013. Its nice, and of course, its a great honor. She was recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011. 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. Lifestyle. Alisa Weilerstein (cello) Recorded: 2012-10-14 Recording Venue: Teldex Studio, Berlin 1. Also, you cant be afraid of performing. 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. 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. For example, Im about to play the Elgar concerto with the National Symphony in Russia. She spoke to Scott Simon from the Spoleto Festival USA, where she'll be performing through June 12. hide caption. She started playing the cello at age four. California. like. Image. It didnt last. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato 9:33 2. 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. When did you come here as a cello student? She was awarded the MacArthur genius grant in 2011. hide caption. She will perform a Bach suite in its entirety, and she will play it with her typical, heartfelt passion. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, one of the newest MacArthur "geniuses." Learn all about Alisa Weilerstein on AllMusic. If there's such a thing as cello mojo, Alisa Weilerstein has it. Fresh, moving, timeless, and some of the most beautiful writing I can think of. Visita nuestra pgina web en espaol. Its filled with really, really good information. When youre playing with someone new, do differences in interpretation ever cause problems? WebAbout Alisa Weilerstein. I was never subjected to abuse or was made to practice 10 hours a day while locked up. 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. 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. Alisa Weilerstein talks about her experience at the Aspen Music Festival and School 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. 2023 Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The staging does offer some hints about the music, as if to hold the listeners hand. FC: And you mentioned Dorothy DeLay, who's a legendary violin teacher at Julliard and here in Aspen. She collaborated with conductor Daniel Barenboim, whose late wife, Jacqueline du Pre, was the standard-bearer for this work. FC: Was it hard playing at home for your dad - this world-famous violinist - when you were just learning how to play the cello? 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. To keep growing with them. 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. Now, the youngest Weilerstein's profile as a soloist is being kicked into high gear. Without real love and doggedness and tenacity, its still nearly impossible. She was just an incredibly encouraging presence. 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. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Video by John Francis November 6, 2012 Hear an excerpt of MacArthur "genius" cellist Alisa Weilerstein's excellent pairing of the Elgar Cello Concerto recorded with Daniel Barenboim, whose late wife Jacqueline Du Pre's name was synonymous with this piece and the cello concerto by Elliott Carter, who died yesterday at 103. 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. AW: Well he was just my dad to me, I mean, he wasn't this world famous violinist. Weilerstein's artistry comes naturally. Weilerstein was born in Rochester, New York, on April 14, 1982. Thats something that Im really trying to do. Its like the E.M. Forster phrase, only connect, Weilerstein explained. Dont do it for anybody else. 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] Climate & Environment. 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. The work was co-commissioned with the Detroit Symphony; the Cleveland Orchestra, where Weilerstein performed it last fall; and the National Symphony, where she reprised it in May. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. 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. Weilerstein is a throwback to an earlier age of classical performers: not content merely to serve as a vessel for the composers wishes, she inhabits a piece fully and turns it to her own ends, marvels the New York Times. Im still going to always try to improve as an artist and to be a more insightful interpreter. Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until 30 minutes after the concert starts Luckily, I didnt ever have that fear. WebAlisa Weilerstein is known for If I Stay (2014), P.O.V. Since making her professional and Carnegie Hall debuts in her early teens, she has been in People might assume that a talent like yours must have been fostered at the expense of everything else. hide caption. Her discography also includes chart-topping albums and the winner ofBBC Musics Recording of the Year award. You can also deactivate these cookies. AllMusic relies heavily on JavaScript. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. En Espaol. These cookies do not store any personal information. | Disclaimer | Sitemap Right now all I really want to do is give.. Alisa Weilerstein is an American cellist who started playing the cello at a young age. For her though, Fragments is an attempt to make the concert hall more of a place of adventure again, and less of a dead end. This is always the subject of debatewhat is the role of the performer? Its familiar, theres such a child-like purity to it, says Weilerstein. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein plays Bach and Golijov at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur genius grant Fellowship in 2011. 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. 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. 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.. You have to be in good shape to play the instrument well. WebAlisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Dont do it for anybody else. 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. hide caption. courtesy of the artist 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. Hes a great inspiration for me in that sense. Labels are generally very, very unhelpful. Business. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Entertainment & Arts. Jamie Jung Violinist Livia Sohn, pianist Inon Barnatan, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and violist Barry Shiffman (not pictured) dig into the the Gypsy-influenced Piano Quartet, Op. 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.. Weilerstein recently premiered Joan Towers new cello concerto, A New Day, at the Colorado Music Festival. 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. 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. December 22, 2012 The albums that sum up our year span genres and borders. Housing & Homelessness. 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. 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 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. Its about communicating ideas which are inexpressible in words. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Since making her professional and Carnegie Hall debuts in her early teens, she has been in high demand as a solo That's an honor and a litmus test which Barenboim has only granted one other artist: Yo-Yo Ma. She mentioned that her first cello was a cereal box with a chopstick for a bow! I think its a fantastic resource, and he writes so beautifully. Her brother is also a conductor and violinist. As a child prodigy, Ma performed for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was only seven years old. 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. Human beings are far more complex. My management was very careful to get me as much experience as I needed without overexposing me or taking over my life. So thats how I always looked at it. 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. Something I return to every so often is Kunderas The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. If Weilersteins response was a common one to a common crisis, the result of her reflections shines with uncommon ambition, so much so that it is hard to think of many soloists of a similar stature who would dare to bring anything like it to the stage. Free to write what he wanted, Moya drew on the personal ties that he has to Weilerstein through the conductor Rafael Payare, her husband. Alex Irvin / Courtesy Aspen Music Festival and School. Weilersteins cello is her id. This is important for any musician. 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. 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. } 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. 1900 S. Norfolk St., Suite 350, San Mateo, CA 94403 Veterans Pension Benefits (Aid & Attendance). They have one child. I just want to have a kind of outpouring of music, of thoughts, and everything else, she told The New York Times then. There may be people, Weilerstein admits, who are put off by even a modest staging, or by her tinkering with performance traditions. I thought the connotations of being considered a prodigy implied living a very different life than the one I lived. William Struhs April 19, 2017 - Alisa Weilerstein is an American classical cellist who began performing professionally at the age of 13. It gives you a totally new tool. Its a nice challenge to have. 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. (1988) and When Alisa Met Elliott (2012). Its a constant challenge, too. But if both of us are open to different orientations or interpretations, that can yield a really interesting interpretation and performance. 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. At this point in your career, how do you define success? She doesnt give the impression that making music involves will at all. 1600 Saint-Urbain Street, We also use third party cookies which help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Since making her professional and Carnegie Hall debuts in her early teens, she has been in high demand as a solo However, even with a very specific composer like that, there is tremendous room for interpretation. The perspective gives you something. Carlos Kleibers live recording of Brahms 2nd Symphony reminds me of what utter joy and inspiration sounds (and looks!) hide caption. She has been married to Rafael Payare since 2013. Nobody would say otherwise, but I try not to pay too much attention to that. Concert matines: opens at 9 a.m. Concert evenings: noon to 8 p.m. 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. 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 recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist with leading orchestras worldwide. What does the idea of creative freedom mean when youre a classical musician? To be included with these amazing people, that, for me, was the biggest honor. 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. 2, BWV 1008, that begins the second part (the second CD for physical buyers) is then especially free and introductory in quality. 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.. Phone: 650-931-2505 | Fax: 650-931-2506 Is it always about reaching for some higher goal? Thats an important skill, unless you are someone who only plays alone always, you have to be able to communicate. 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. Theres this idea that we have a literal script in front of us. 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. fill: #000; 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. You try to treat the score as something thats living and breathing, and therefore, malleable. How do you nourish your creative life when youre not working? He was the muse for Shostakovich and Prokofiev, and he premiered over a thousand works over the course of his lifetime. It certainly made things easier to not have that fear, to not have to unload that fear or deal with it. September 11, 2008 Cellist Alisa Weilerstein was born into a musical family with a love for chamber music. 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. 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. I was 14 when I went with my manager. At least I dont.. .st0{ Cellist Alisa Weilerstein. These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your consent. Jamie Jung I had a real life. Weilerstein has achieved an impressive set, one that stands apart from the hundreds of others available, yet gives the listener the feeling that she might have done it differently the next day. I am traveling almost all the time. Daniel Day-Lewis tour de force. Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. As Artistic Partner of the Trondheim Soloists, she regularly tours and records with the Norwegian orchestra. As Everyone brings their perspective and insight into what the composer actually meant. Mito Habe-Evans/NPR This means people can now refer to you as a genius in an official capacity. I do think, though, that we clearly have a problem, that we are not connecting with enough people, and that we are relying too much on our old models of presenting, especially when it comes to new music.. hide caption. If theres a piece that Ive been playing over and over again, its very helpful to put it away for a while. Well, something that Im trying to do more of is simply being mindful to get enough exercise and to do good stretches. One book I would recommend to anyone whos interested in music would be Alex Rosss The Rest Is Noise. 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. She lives with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their young child. You made your professional debut at the age of 13 and were often referred to as a child prodigy. In Alisa Weilersteins groundbreaking, multi-year performance series FRAGMENTS, new music by some of the most compelling composers of our time meets Theres the potential for a really deep kind of collaboration with them, which is kind of unique. Playing the cello actually takes tremendous upper body strength. As the UKs Telegraph put it, Weilerstein is truly a phenomenon.. He was Dad (laughs). Certain aspects of it may be familiar. Law Office of Gretchen J. Kenney. Do it for no other reason than that you love it and cant imagine doing anything else. In that sense, theres no substitute for time away. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. In fact, I played for Zara Nelsova when I was much younger, but I wasn't officially a student, I was around maybe 6 or 7 when I had my first lessons with her. You try to treat the score as something thats living and breathing, and therefore, malleable. 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. 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. Im still going to always try to improve as an artist and to be a more insightful interpreter. You have to have a willingness to collaborate. This site uses cookies to offer you the best possible experience. 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 is no end point. Music is about communication. The perspective gives you something. Alisa Weilerstein is an American classical cellist who began performing professionally at the age of 13. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. I also have a young daughter, who is 11 months old. Alisa Weilerstein has won the MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." 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. For anyone in the classical music world, being able to expose other people to these great works is always something you hope to do. 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. She left the choice up to them. Monday to Friday: noon to 5 p.m. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, explaining her decision to retract an earlier promise not to play the pieces until she was older, says that the suites "present the player with infinite possibilities." The work is better as a result. 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.
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