Steven Isserlis

Biography / Cello

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British cellist Steven Isserlis CBE enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, author, educator, and broadcaster. Equally at home in music from baroque to the present day, he performs with the world’s greatest orchestras, including period ensembles, and has given many world premieres, including Sir John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Thomas Adès’s Lieux […]

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Steven Isserlis

British cellist Steven Isserlis CBE enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, author, educator, and broadcaster. Equally at home in music from baroque to the present day, he performs with the world’s greatest orchestras, including period ensembles, and has given many world premieres, including Sir John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Thomas Adès’s Lieux retrouvés, four works for solo cello by György Kurtág, and pieces by Heinz Holliger, Jörg Widmann, Olli Mustonen, Mikhail Pletnev and many others.

His vast award-winning discography includes most of the cello repertoire, including the JS Bach suites (Gramophone Instrumental Album of the Year), Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano, and the Brahms double concerto with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He has received two Grammy nominations, for his recordings of Haydn’s cello concertos, and Martinů’s cello sonatas with Olli Mustonen. Premiere recordings include late works by Sir John Tavener (BBC Music magazine Premiere Award). His latest recording, A Golden Cello Decade 1878 – 1888, was released in November 2022.

As an author, his latest book is a critically-acclaimed companion to the Bach cello suites, while his two books for children about music are among the genre’s most popular ever written and have been translated into many languages. He has also authored a commentary on Schumann’s famous Advice for Young Musicians. As a broadcaster, he has written and presented two in-depth documentaries for BBC Radio, on Robert Schumann and Harpo Marx.

An insightful musical explorer and curator, he has programmed imaginative series for London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s 92nd St Y, and the Salzburg Festival. Unusually, he also directs orchestras from the cello, including Luzerner Sinfonieorchester in 2019 with Radu Lupu in his final public performance.

He was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998, in recognition of his services to music. International recognition includes the Piatigorsky Prize (USA) and the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award (Germany). Since 1997, he has been Artistic Director of the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, Cornwall.

He plays the 1726 ‘Marquis de Corberon’ Stradivarius, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Season 2024/25

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Il violoncellista inglese Steven Isserlis gode di una carriera internazionale come solista, musicista da camera, autore, educatore e divulgatore. A suo agio sia nella musica barocca che in quella contemporanea, si esibisce con le più grandi orchestre del mondo, inclusi ensemble di strumenti d’epoca, e ha eseguito numerose prime mondiali, tra cui The Protecting Veil di Sir John […]
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Steven Isserlis

Il violoncellista inglese Steven Isserlis gode di una carriera internazionale come solista, musicista da camera, autore, educatore e divulgatore. A suo agio sia nella musica barocca che in quella contemporanea, si esibisce con le più grandi orchestre del mondo, inclusi ensemble di strumenti d’epoca, e ha eseguito numerose prime mondiali, tra cui The Protecting Veil di Sir John Tavener, Lieux retrouvés di Thomas Adès, quattro opere per violoncello solo di György Kurtág, e brani di Heinz Holliger, Jörg Widmann, Olli Mustonen, Mikhail Pletnev e molti altri.

La sua vasta e pluripremiata discografia include gran parte del repertorio per violoncello, comprese le Suite di J.S. Bach (Gramophone Instrumental Album of the Year), le opere complete per violoncello e pianoforte di Beethoven e il Doppio Concerto di Brahms con Joshua Bell e l’Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Ha ricevuto due nomination ai Grammy per le sue registrazioni dei concerti per violoncello di Haydn e delle sonate per violoncello di Martinů con Olli Mustonen. Tra le prime registrazioni si annoverano le ultime opere di Sir John Tavener (BBC Music magazine Premiere Award). La sua ultima registrazione, A Golden Cello Decade 1878 – 1888, è stata pubblicata nel novembre 2022.

Come autore, il suo ultimo libro è una guida molto apprezzata alle Suite per violoncello di Bach, mentre i suoi due libri per bambini sulla musica sono tra i più popolari mai scritti nel genere e sono stati tradotti in molte lingue. Ha inoltre scritto un commentario sui famosi Consigli ai giovani musicisti di Schumann. Come conduttore radiofonico, ha scritto e presentato due documentari su Robert Schumann e Harpo Marx per BBC Radio.

Un acuto esploratore musicale e ideatore di programmi innovativi, ha programmato serie creative per la Wigmore Hall di Londra, la 92nd St Y di New York e il Festival di Salisburgo. Con un approccio unico, ha anche diretto orchestre dal violoncello, come con la Luzerner Sinfonieorchester nel 2019, in occasione dell’ultima esibizione pubblica di Radu Lupu.

Nel 1998 è stato insignito del titolo di CBE da parte della Regina Elisabetta II, in riconoscimento dei suoi servizi alla musica. I riconoscimenti internazionali includono il Piatigorsky Prize (USA) e il Glashütte Original Music Festival Award (Germania). Dal 1997, è Direttore Artistico dell’International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, in Cornovaglia.

Suona il Marquis de Corberon, uno Stradivari del 1726, in prestito dalla Royal Academy of Music.

Season 2024/25

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[ENG] Biography [ITA] Biography

Photogallery

Steven Isserlis ©Jean_Baptiste_Millot
Isserlis©Satoshi Aoyagi
Isserlis©Satoshi Aoyagi_2
Isserlis©Kevin Davis-jpg
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Contacts

Local management

Artists Management Company – Verona
Via dell’Esperanto 1/C – 37135 Verona – Italy
T +39 045 8014041
M +39 348 2509928
E office@amcmusic.com

www.stevenisserlis.com www.imgartists.com www.edizionicurci.it

Reviews

13/12/2020 – MusicWeb / CD TAVENER No Longer Mourn For Me – “Not just a fitting memorial, but a catharsis for all whose lives were touched by this extraordinary man… Job done” 30/10/2020 – The GUARDIAN / CD TAVENER No Longer Mourn For Me – “At once tough and inspiring.” 20/11/2020 – 5* BBC Music Magazine / CD Tavener No Longer Mourne For Me – “These are among Tavener’s most powerful works. They are magnificently performed.” 04/2019 – BBC MUSIC – “A sincere and truly great work in an outstanding performance” 10/2018 – GRAMOPHONE – “Even among Isserlis’s many fine discs, this one stands out” 20/01/2017 – CREMONA – “Standing Ovation per Isserlis e l’Orchestra da Camera di Mantova” 18/01/2017 – MANTOVA – “Al Bibiena il successo eclatante di un grande virtuoso” 18/01/2017 – MANTOVA – “Steven Isserlis, o il cigno al violoncello” 05/10/2016 – LONDON – “A spellbinding duo at Wigmore” 06/2015 – ISSERLIS – “Grieg, Hough, Mendelssohn Cello Sonatas”
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Discography

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