In Wednesday’s (3/21) New York Times, James R. Oestreich reports from Los Angeles, “Strike up a conversation with one of the cellists playing in the New York subways on Wednesday to celebrate Bach’s 327th birthday, and you may make a friend for life. It is an article of faith among many cellists that they are more sociable creatures than the average classical musician. That, they say, is why cello congresses, like the first Piatigorsky International Cello Festival held here over the weekend, occur with greater regularity than those for most other instruments. … Ralph Kirshbaum, the festival’s artistic director, finds a ‘warmth and generosity of spirit’ in his colleagues, he said, and they typically cite the same qualities in him. … In 2008 Mr. Kirshbaum took over the Gregor Piatigorsky chair in cello at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.” Opportunities for cellists at the Piatigorsky festival include, “concerto performances with orchestra, in this case the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Neeme Jarvi in Walt Disney Concert Hall; master classes with established artists, including Mr. Kirshbaum and Mr. Helmerson, coaching promising students; chamber recitals featuring masters and students; and a charming format that again speaks to cellists’ herding instincts, massed performance.” Read Chester Lane’s interview of Kirshbaum on SymphonyNOW.
Posted March 22, 2012
