laurence lesser Archives

Conversation with Carter Brey (April, 2000)

Interview by Tim Janof Carter Brey was appointed Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic in 1996. He rose to international attention in 1981 as a prizewinner in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition. Subsequent appearances with Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra were unanimously praised. The winner of the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Prize, Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Young Concert Artists Michaels Award and other honors, he also was the first musician to win the Arts Council of Americas Performing Arts Prize. Mr. Brey has appeared as soloist with virtually all the major orchestras in the United States, and has performed under the batons of Claudio Abbado, Semyon Bychkov, Sergiu Comissiona, Christoph von Dohnanyi, and other prominent conductors. In 1990, he was featured in a concert with cellist Yo-Yo Ma [...]

By Tim Janof|2023-02-27T12:56:12-05:00March 22nd, 2021|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Interviews, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: Technique, Mstislav Rostropovich, laurence lesser, Aldo Parisot, Stephen Kates, Interpretation, repertoire|

Conversation with Jeffrey Solow (May, 1995)

Interview by Tim Janof Jeffrey Solow is currently Associate Professor of Music at the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. He is a renowned performer, cello pedagogue, and author. Two of his articles were recently voted to be in the top 10 of the last ten years in American String Teacher magazine. TJ: How did you get started on the cello? JS: It was from familial influence. There are three kids in my family, of which I am the youngest. When each of us reached about 7 years old, my parents asked us what instrument we wanted to play. My older brother had played cello for awhile and somehow that stuck with me when it was my turn to decide. So I emulated him and picked the cello. [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-11-18T22:22:07-05:00November 11th, 2020|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Competition, Interviews, Performance, Playing Healthy, Repertoire, Self Discovery|Tags: Bach Cello Suites, competitions, laurence lesser, Interpretation, Gregor Piatigorsky, Technical Development|

Conversation with Laurence Lesser (January, 2001)

Interview by Tim Janof Laurence Lesser, president emeritus of the New England Conservatory (NEC) has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as a concert artist, teacher and arts administrator. He served as president of NEC for 13 years, from 1983 to 1996. He was a top prizewinner in the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and a participant in the historic Heifetz-Piatigorsky concerts and recordings. He has been soloist with many orchestras including the Boston Symphony, London Philharmonic, and the New Japan Philharmonic. He has performed under the batons of Ozawa, Rostropovich, and Tilson Thomas, among others. He was the first to record the Schoenberg Cello Concerto, and in 1966 was the first to perform it with orchestra since its 1938 introduction by Emanuel Feuermann. As a chamber musician Laurence Lesser has [...]

By Tim Janof|2021-12-15T11:13:10-05:00August 28th, 2020|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, Performance|Tags: Gaspar Cassadó, Maria Callas, Gregor Piatigorsky, Gabor Rejto, Leonard Rose, Jascha Heifetz, laurence lesser|

The Amit Peled Peabody Cello Gang: Closing the Circle — by Amit Peled

Originally posted on Violinist.com. As a student, I was fortunate enough to experience the magic of performing music on stage with my great mentors Bernard Greenhouse, Boris Pergamenschikow, and Laurence Lesser, as well as see how each of them balanced their performing and teaching careers. The difference between listening to them explain how to create a phrase and actually forming that phrase with them on stage was huge and significant. Performing with my teachers was a vastly more effective lesson than a one-on-one in a studio, teaching me “on-the-spot” artistic decision-making, amending each performance to fit the energy of the hall. Ever since those transformative and magical moments, I knew that I would become a teacher and pass on the tradition of sharing music with my own students on stage. [...]

By Amit Peled|2018-12-19T18:15:59-05:00January 6th, 2018|Categories: Artistic Vision, Beyond the Traditional, Chamber Music, Interpersonal Relationships, Repertoire, Teaching, Technology, Videos|Tags: spontaneity, improvement, laurence lesser, Amit Peled, peabody institute, communication, Bach, Bernard Greenhouse, recording, Teaching, nerves, cello ensemble, Popper, performance|

Announcing CelloStream Master Classes 2016 – 2017

Streamed live from Pierce Hall at New England Conservatory in Boston COMING 2016 - 2017: YO-YO MA Monday, October 24th 2016 2:00 - 4:30 pm ET LAURENCE LESSER Sunday, November 13th 2016 7:00 - 9:30 pm ET ANDRÉS DIAZ Tuesday, December 6th 2016 7:00 - 9:30 pm ET PAUL KATZ Sunday, February 19th 2017 7:00 - 9:30 pm ET JOEL KROSNICK Friday, March 31st 2017 1:30 - 3:30 pm ET To tune in for a live-viewing of a CelloStream Artist Master Class, please navigate to the CelloStream page at the appropriate time. To read bios of previous CelloStream master class artists, please see below. PREVIOUS MASTER CLASSES JOEL KROSNICK TRIBUTE Mar 23rd 2016 7:30 pm EDT Joel Krosnick has performed as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician around the world. As a member of the Juilliard String [...]

By Blogmaster|2017-06-15T16:21:12-04:00September 27th, 2016|Categories: Artistic Vision, CelloStream, Interpersonal Relationships, Self Discovery, Teaching, Videos|Tags: Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Katz, Joel Krosnick, cellobello, laurence lesser, New England Conservatory, cello life, Masterclass, cellostream|

Memories of Bernie: Music and Food — by Laurence Lesser

The first time I met Bernard Greenhouse was after a performance the Beaux Arts Trio gave of the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Baltimore Symphony. I was teaching at the time at Peabody (1970-74). My wife and I were invited to join them at a restaurant after the concert and we had pleasant conversation. But what I remember most was the effortlessly beautiful opening of the concerto’s slow movement. It had such grace I have never forgotten. Even before then, when I was studying with and then assisting Piatigorsky at USC, I remember a conversation at my teacher’s home when he was holding the LP of the Beaux Art’s recording of the Dvořák f minor Trio. Heifetz and he had just released their performance with Leonard Pennario of the same piece. Piatigorsky said, “They play it so [...]

By Laurence Lesser|2021-09-05T23:59:15-04:00December 26th, 2015|Categories: Bernard Greenhouse, Interpersonal Relationships|Tags: Bernard Greenhouse, cellobello, CelloBlog, laurence lesser, Greenhouse Tribute|

Some Thoughts About My Bach Recordings — by Laurence Lesser

When anyone approaches the Bach Cello Suites, it’s natural to begin thinking about a “correct” way to play them. My teacher, Gregor Piatigorsky, used to say: “Never play for the cellists in the audience—they always have a different idea.” Start that instead with “Never play Bach for . . .” and life gets even harder! Like every young cellist of my generation, I was very influenced by the recordings of Pablo Casals. How could I not be? He was considered the “greatest” cellist of his day and my then teacher, Gabor Rejto, had studied with him. And how could one deny the performances of an artist who always convinced you, at least as long as his sounds were in your ears. I was lucky enough to play the D minor [...]

By Laurence Lesser|2023-01-22T18:43:04-05:00November 20th, 2015|Categories: Artistic Vision, Baroque, Repertoire, Self Discovery|Tags: CelloBlog, laurence lesser, cellobello, Bach Suites|