By Jonathan Shifflett Speaking with our festival attendees reminds us of the passion that people all over the world feel for the cello and the lengths they will go to support that passion. In this fourth installment of Cello Stories, we talk with an attendee who recently returned to playing the cello after giving…Continue Reading Cello Stories, part IV – Paulo Ribeiro
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Cello Stories, Part II: Christopher Hutton
By Jonathan Shifflett As part of our Cello Stories series, we took a minute to ask Christopher Hutton, Associate Professor of Violoncello at Furman University, about his background as a cellist and what events at the upcoming Piatigorsky Festival he finds most enticing. Hutton studied at Boston University with Leslie Parnas, and earned Master of…Continue Reading Cello Stories, Part II: Christopher Hutton
When Lesser Met Benny
By Jonathan Shifflett Few people know that the Second World War turned Los Angeles into a hotbed of classical music. Musicians fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe arrived in Hollywood to fill spots in the prosperous film studio orchestras and caused a striking transformation. A city that was once a cultural desert was suddenly flooded with some of…Continue Reading When Lesser Met Benny
Q&A with Amit Peled
In the second installment of our festival artist Q&A series, we spoke with Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled. From a rural upbringing in Israel to performing at Carnegie Hall, Peled is a strong personality and an engaging performer known for breaking down the audience/performer barrier by explaining the pieces or telling stories. Peled studied with Laurence…Continue Reading Q&A with Amit Peled
History of the Cello, Part I
“The History of the Cello, Part I,” a recent Visions and Voices event at USC, illuminated for the audience what early cellos sounded like and what forces helped shape the instrument into what it is today. Ralph Kirshbaum, Chair of the Strings Department at the Thornton School of Music, invited a luthier, two Early Music…Continue Reading History of the Cello, Part I
What’s a cello festival all about?
The answer is, it’s about many things. Sometimes it’s about Beethoven and sometimes it’s about rock-and-roll (take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Byqon5e4Y!). Always it’s about cellos, cellists, cello music, and those who love the sound of the cello. People may come because they want to hear the Schubert Quintet—a string quartet plus a second cello….Continue Reading What’s a cello festival all about?
Location
Los Angeles and the University of Southern California The 2020 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival will take place at Walt Disney Concert Hall and on the USC campus in Los Angeles, a 21st Century capital of creative and cultural innovation….Continue Reading Location
Cello Focus
It was with great sadness that the USC Thornton School of Music announced the cancellation of the 2020 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, owing to uncertainly around the Covid-19 virus. As the event’s official media partner, The Strad has put together a digital tribute to the festival, including reports on previous Piatigorsky events and a selection…Continue Reading Cello Focus