New York Philharmonic Archives

Leonard Rose Remembered (January, 2004)

by Tim Janof Leonard Rose was one of the greatest cellists of all time. Many of the recordings he made in the prime of his career continue to be viewed as the ultimate model of gorgeous cello playing. His greatest recordings have a timeless, unmannered quality that sound as fresh today as they did when they were first released. He also had tremendous success as a teacher. His former students are now leading cellists around the world, and include principal and section cellists in professional orchestras, highly regarded pedagogues, and revered soloists. Leonard Rose was a cellist's cellist, who excelled in every aspect of cello playing -- teacher, soloist, orchestral cellist, and chamber musician. While researching for this article, I had the tremendous fortune of finding Barbara Rose-Schirota, who is [...]

By Tim Janof|2024-07-05T20:20:36-04:00December 15th, 2021|Categories: Historical, Artists, Internet Cello Society Archive, Performance, Repertoire, Teaching|Tags: Heifetz, Lynn Harrell, Cleveland Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Internet Cello Society Archive, Felix Salmond, Sergei Rachmaninoff', New York Philharmonic, Leonard Rose, Glenn Gould, ICS, Frank Miller, Fritz Reiner, NBC Orchestra|

CelloChat: Carter Brey

Carter Brey was appointed principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic in 1996, and made his subscription debut as soloist with the orchestra the following year in Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations led by then-Music Director Kurt Masur. He has appeared as soloist with many of America's major symphony orchestras. With the Philharmonic, he has performed in the Haydn C Major Concerto under Music Director Jaap van Zweden; in the Barber, Dvorák, Elgar, and Schumann cello concertos under then-Music Director Alan Gilbert; in Richard Strauss's Don Quixote with music directors Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta; in the Brahms Double Concerto with then-Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and conductor Christoph Eschenbach, as well as with Lorin Maazel on the orchestra's 2007 European tour; in William Schuman's A Song of Orpheus with conductor Christian Thielemann; and in the Boccherini Cello Concerto in D with conductor Riccardo Muti. He also performed the Brahms work at Tanglewood Music Center in the summer of 2002 as part of Kurt Masur's final concerts as the Philharmonic's music director.

By CelloBello Webmaster|2021-09-27T13:45:51-04:00September 27th, 2021|Categories: CelloChats, Virtual Events|Tags: Carter Brey, New York Philharmonic, Curtis Institute of Music|

Conversation with Laszlo Varga (November, 2002)

Interview by Tim Janof Hungarian-American cellist Laszlo Varga has an international reputation as soloist, recording artist, and master teacher. He served as the Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic for 11 years under Dimitri Mitropoulos and Leonard Bernstein. Mr. Varga has appeared as soloist with orchestras across the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America, and the former Soviet Union. He has been the featured soloist, chamber musician, and master teacher at the Aspen, Chautauqua, and Shreveport festivals, among others for over 40 years. He is highly praised for his numerous recordings on the Vox, RCA, Columbia, Decca, CRI, Period, and MusiCelli labels. Mr. Varga has premiered numerous pieces for solo cello and is eagerly sought after by composers to present their works. As cellist with the Borodin Piano Trio [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-03-01T18:17:56-05:00October 25th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, Orchestra, Performance|Tags: Janos Starker, Laszlo Varga, New York Philharmonic, Borodin Trio, Leonard Bernstein|

Castelnuovo-Tedesco Cello Concerto Revival — by Brinton Averil Smith

June 8, 2018 marked the Naxos release of a live recording of the first professional performance of Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's 'lost' cello concerto in over 80 years. Castelnuovo-Tedesco's career in his native Italy was cut short by Mussolini's rise, and he spent the latter half of his life in Hollywood, where he scored nearly 200 films, while continuing to compose classical works and teaching students including Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, André Previn, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams (André Previn tells the story of Mario forcing him to orchestrate Mozart's 40th symphony from memory, and then comparing his orchestration to the economy of Mozart's). Gregor Piatigorsky and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, August 1935 (source unknown) Mario relates that Piatigorsky asked “Castelnuovo, a great many cellists play your works as well [...]

By Brinton Smith|2018-12-19T17:54:18-05:00June 13th, 2018|Categories: Repertoire|Tags: Naxos, New York Philharmonic, Piatigorsky, premiere, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, cello concerto, korngold|