From Improvising in Caves to Spoken in Waves
Spoken in Waves is a new piece for cello and string quartet by Chris Beroes-Haigis, commissioned by cellist Cicely Parnas. The video performance was premiered in December of 2023. In this blog post, Cicely and Chris tell us a bit about the backstory of the piece, the journey to recording the piece, what it's like to perform the piece and more. The video performance can be found below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML40XGq2qI4 In 2019, I was on tour with my cello rock band and found myself in El Paso, TX, the city where my good friend Chris Beroes-Haigis lived. We had met two years earlier as fellows at the Sitka International Cello Seminar in Alaska, and I remember I was struck both by Chris’s beautiful music-making on the cello, and that [...]
Building Reputation as a Classical Musician
In the world of classical music, reputation is part of what determines the relationships a musician has with the people and organizations that can move their career forward. A reputation is "the opinion that people in general have about someone or something, or how much respect or admiration someone or something receives, based on past behavior or character" (Cambridge Dictionary). People form opinions about another person early on—they notice if you show up on time to the first rehearsal, and they register the tone of your emails and how you respond to constructive feedback. Each interaction builds on the next, and soon you have a "brand"—the way people view you and what they expect of you. Your brand spreads within the professional community, and it's a major determinant of [...]
In the Practice Room with Julia Lichten
What is on your music stand? What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/NQveC_g1obo Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? https://youtu.be/A83d7hlJf1s How do you go cultivate inspiration? https://youtu.be/lUSyaGCz4kQ In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/mUCa2v09_7E Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? https://youtu.be/QYa9fY0QIMY How many hours a day should one practice? https://youtu.be/bAZz3zzqybQ What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/6AQk74UIXzg What is your balance between technique and repertoire? https://youtu.be/MFbf-eRbvcw How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/rt5B2LeosnQ With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain balance? https://youtu.be/FSUCcT-PxOE [...]
In the Practice Room with Austin Huntington
Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? https://youtu.be/fyamIbQ1_CM What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/I9cUZQpPRH4 What's on your music stand right now? https://youtu.be/YqliVUNn01M How do you go about deepening your musical imagination? https://youtu.be/-z6osWAf7Vg In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/Pg1sxCnTYh0 What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/NNdSjzkHqM4 What is your balance between technique and repertoire? https://youtu.be/qon0C3NpJJc How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/NNg7X7BvRMw How has your practicing evolved over the years, or even recently? https://youtu.be/Bv4hX30eYYg
In the Practice Room with Michael Haber
What's on your music stand right now? https://youtu.be/zXnE9O5u4ec What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/Ee5QTrThKU4 Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? https://youtu.be/GbBtU4uuhIA What do you enjoy the most about practicing? What inspires you? https://youtu.be/LJ0CLr_2LZI How do you cultivate inspiration in the practice room? https://youtu.be/GRqq0Bl1bec In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/hcj0Y8wD3BA Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? https://youtu.be/xUJpfvFVVcw What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/nrH40qfgsAc What is your balance between technique and repertoire? https://youtu.be/L36UMRi3MpQ How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/PbEEHJL226M How do you start learning a new piece? https://youtu.be/lKvv6ytQY2Y How has [...]