nerves Archives

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: laurence lesser, Amit Peled, peabody institute, communication, Bach, Bernard Greenhouse, recording, Teaching, nerves, cello ensemble, Popper, performance, spontaneity, improvement|

Exploring Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony — by Jonathan Pegis

Here in just a few measures is an excerpt that has confused, befuddled, and downright scared more cellists than just about any other excerpt (please click image to enlarge): The theme from the second movement of Beethoven's fifth, along with the first two variations, shows up on the vast majority of cello audition lists. I thought it would be educational to spend some time exploring this theme, and future blogs will explore the first and second variations. To begin with, this excerpt is one of a handful that I have coached for many years where I am actually LESS confident than I used to be. Why? Because every teacher, every coach, and every conductor has had radically different ideas about all the different aspects of this theme. Temp, color, dynamic, [...]

By Jonathan Pegis|2017-07-15T05:12:25-04:00October 19th, 2012|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: Rhythm, bow changes, Symphony, vibrato, technical challenges, phrasing, legato, cello, variations, practicing, markings, cellobello, confidence, education, teacher, Audition, Excerpts, pressure, Teaching, coaching, nerves, inflection, mistakes, dynamics, release, orchestral excerpts, orchestra, recording, Beethoven, accents, Preparation, singing, bow speed, blog, control, sustain|

Two Minutes of Your Time — by Brant Taylor

Early in 2011, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will hold auditions hoping to fill two vacancies in our cello section. In my twelve years of hearing auditions as a member of this ensemble, hundreds of cellists have presented themselves on our stage. Some have done so several times. Their audience is a committee of nine members of the orchestra who sit behind a screen in our otherwise-empty hall. Some of us take notes during the performances, but the only thing that matters to the process is the simple "yes" or "no" each committee member marks on a blank index card after every player has finished. If a candidate receives at least six "yes" votes in a preliminary audition, he or she advances to the final round. To those unfamiliar with the [...]

By Brant Taylor|2017-08-04T03:27:35-04:00March 14th, 2011|Categories: Auditions, Orchestra|Tags: CSO, process, ensembles, Taylor, Concerto, Excerpts, Time, artistry, Experience, trends, cello, honesty, cellobello, nerves, Auditions, numbers, beauty, Brant, orchestra, cello section, Practice, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Preparation|