Friday, September 17, 2010

Alisa Weilerstein: Tiny Desk Concert

by Tom Huizenga
Alisa Weilerstein's cello career began with chicken pox. At about age 3, frustrated and itchy, little Alisa became mesmerized by a new toy. It was a miniature cello, crafted by hand by her grandmother. The body of the instrument was made from Rice Krispies boxes, and the endpin was an old toothbrush.

Something major must have clicked that day. Because now, some 25 years later, Weilerstein is one of today's top cellists, enjoying a globe-spanning career of performances with orchestras, chamber music concerts and recitals.

Grandma wasn't the only family member to play a significant role in Weilerstein's musical career. Her parents, violinist Donald Weilerstein and pianist Vivain Hornik Weilerstein, are both distinguished musicians. Together, they perform as the Weilerstein Trio.

For this Tiny Desk Concert, Weilerstein chose to juxtapose the old with the new — beginning with a pair of movements from J.S. Bach's Suite No. 3 for solo cello.
She told us the story of how Bach Suites found a second life.

Complete on  >>  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129702424&sc=nl&cc=sod-20100916

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