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 inter ..read more

In 2001, I found myself sharing a taxi with Dutch cellist, Anner Bylsma, who was perhaps best known and loved for his performances and recordings of the Bach Cello Suites. We were on our way to the Royal Northern College of Music’s Cello Festival in Manchester, which was the première cello celebration in the world at the time. As we discussed what his detractors were saying about his book, Bach, The Fencing Master, I couldn’t help but note how surreal it was that this was actually happening – that I was spending time with one of my cello idols. It had been 15 years since my cello professor an ..read more

Preface I wrote a book! Really? But I’m a cello player! I’ve been a cellist from such a young age; and, except for a brief departure (an aberration perhaps?) into thinking about being a chemical engineer in a belief that someone in my family could be other than a musician, I have been a cellist for over 75 years. I never thought I would write a book about being in solitude with Bach. And a memoir at that! I’d love to share the story. The Plan It all began in Boulder, Colorado, in 1999, when I needed a sabbatical idea. I had been playing string quartets for 23 years. I knew quartet literature ..read more

For most adult learners, vibrato is going to be one of the hardest aspects, if not the hardest, to learn on the cello. It certainly was for me. As someone who began learning the cello from scratch at age 25, it took me years and years of struggle to figure out that adult learners cannot simply rely on traditional vibrato exercises and call it a day. You also need to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room: excess physical tension. Did I just catch you rolling your eyes? I would have too, and that’s why it took me so long to develop my vibrato to where it is now. You see, there are many othe ..read more

What is on your music stand right now? What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? How do you cultivate inspiration in the practice room? What motivates you? How do you stimulate creativity and imagination in the practice room? What is your favorite way to change things up/get new ideas? In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? What are the best ways to prevent injury? What is your balance between technique and repertoire? How do you manage lots of repert ..read more

What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? What is on your music stand? What do you enjoy the most about practicing? What inspires you? What is your favorite way to change things up/get new ideas? When do you feel the most inspired in the practice room? Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? What are the best ways to prevent injury? What is your balance between technique and repertoire? How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain balance? How do you start learning a new piece? H ..read more

What is on your music stand? What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? When do you feel the most inspired in the practice room? How do you stimulate creativity and imagination in the practice room? In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? What are the best ways to prevent injury? How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain b ..read more

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. 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 ..read more

Introduction At the tender age of ten, Ernest Bloch wrote a vow that he would become a composer. He then built a mound of stones in the shape of an altar and burned the paper over the stones in ritual fashion. Before age 15, he made good on his vow, having composed both a string quartet and an Oriental Symphony. However, it was with the composition of his epic Schelomo: Rhapsody for Violoncello and Large Orchestra, that he proved to the world that he had indeed become a composer of world class ability. After a performance in November of 1923, the San Francisco Chronicl ..read more

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 inter ..read more