STEVEN ISSERLIS
CELLO
STEVEN ISSERLIS
CELLO
ABOUT
Acclaimed worldwide for his technique and musicianship, cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a uniquely varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator, author and broadcaster. He appears with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, and gives recitals in major musical centres. As a chamber musician has curated concert series for many prestigious venues, including London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s 92nd Street Y and the Salzburg Festival. Unusually, he also directs chamber orchestras from the cello in classical programmes. Since 1997, he has been artistic director of the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, Cornwall.
He has a strong interest in historical performance, working with many period-instrument orchestras and giving recitals with harpsichord and fortepiano. He is also a keen exponent of contemporary music and has premièred many new works, including Sir John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Thomas Adès’s Lieux retrouvés, three works for solo cello by György Kurtág, and pieces by Heinz Holleger and Jörg Widmann.
Steven’s wide-ranging discography includes J S Bach’s complete solo cello suites (Gramophone’s Instrumental Album of the Year), Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano, concertos by C P E Bach and Haydn, the Elgar and Walton concertos, the Brahms double concerto with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and late works by John Tavener (BBC Music magazine’s Premiere Award.) His latest recording, A Golden Cello Decade 1878 – 1888, was released worldwide in November 2022.
He also enjoys playing for children, and has created three musical stories, with the composer Anne Dudley. As an author, his two books for children have been translated into many languages, and has also authored a commentary on Schumann’s famous Advice for Young Musicians. His latest book, a critically-acclaimed companion to the Bach cello suites, is published in paperback in March 2023.
He has also devised and written two evenings of words and music, one describing the last years of Robert Schumann, the other devoted to Marcel Proust and his salons, and has presented many programmes for radio, including documentaries about two of his heroes – Robert Schumann and Harpo Marx.
The recipient of many awards, his honours include a CBE in recognition of his services to music, the Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau, the Piatigorsky Prize and Maestro Foundation Genius Grant (USA), the Gold Medal awarded by the Armenian Ministry of Culture, the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award (Germany), and the Wigmore Medal (UK).
Steven plays the ‘Marquis de Corberon’ Stradivarius of 1726, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
RECENT PRAISE
THE CLASSICAL SOURCE
A superbly stylish rendering…graceful…exquisite…deeply-felt playing. [Haydn’s C-major Cello Concerto]
THE AUSTRALIAN
He can have the listener in perpetual wonder at the ingredients of his art
THE ARTS DESK
GRAHAM RICKSON
This is one of those performances where everything hits the spot … [Isserlis] gets the mood exactly right, playing with an appealing blend of warmth and resignation. The flamboyant passages sparkle, and the last movement’s devastating backward glance is a belter. [Elgar, Cello Concerto].
NEWS
Live Stream Gerstein, Grosz, Isserlis and Kashimoto’s Performances at Berliner Philharmoniker’s Sold-Out “Together for Humanity” Benefit on 20 December
Pianist Kirill Gerstein, violist Amihai Grosz, cellist Steven Isserlis and violinist Daishin Kashimoto will perform at the Berliner Philharmoniker’s sold-out “Together for Humanity” benefit concert this afternoon (20 December) at 4PM CET. Renowned musicians from all over the world will come together to take a stand for the release of
Steven Isserlis Awarded the 2023 Cremona Musica Award for Performance
Steven Isserlis has been awarded the 2023 Cremona Musica Award for Performance for his outstanding contribution to the interpretation of the cello repertoire. The honour was announced by the cultural committee of Cremona Musica International Exhibitions on 20 September. The Committee writes, “The Cremona Musica Award has been conferred on
Evgeny Kissin, Steven Isserlis and the Emerson String Quartet Honour the Centenary of Andrei Sakharov at Carnegie Hall
On Sunday, May 21, an extraordinary, all-star lineup of internationally renowned musicians came together in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage to celebrate Andrei Sakharov—the late physicist, humanist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner for championing universal human rights, disarmament, and peace—in whose name the European Union established the Sakharov
Steven Isserlis Named New Artistic Partner of CAMERATA BERN
CAMERATA BERN today announced that cellist Steven Isserlis is named Artistic Partner from the 2023/24 season. He joins violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and bassoonist Sergio Azzolini. Since its founding in 1962, CAMERATA BERN’s activities have been dedicated to artistic diversity. They rest on three pillars: cultivation of the string ensemble tradition, engagement with historical
Congratulations to Our Artists Featured in Gramphone’s “Best Classical Music Albums of 2022”!
We would like to congratulate Jakub Hrůša, Steven Isserlis, Vladimir Jurowski, Stéphane Degout, Sandrine Piau, Mitsuko Uchida, Leif Ove Andsnes and Johan Dalene for being featured in Gramophone’s ‘The Best Classical Musical Albums of 2022’! Jakub Hrůša was awarded for his collaboration with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Brahms Symphony No 1 Dvořák Symphony
Steven Isserlis Presents “Finding Harpo’s Voice” on BBC Radio 4
Cellist Steven Isserlis presents “Finding Harper’s Voice”, a journey into the life of comedian and mime artist Harpo Marx, one-fifth of the family comedy act Marx Brothers, airing on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 10 January 2022 at 4PM. Isserlis explores how Harpo came to be the silent Marx brother and managed to create
Sir Antonio Pappano, Marko Letonja and Steven Isserlis Honoured by Presto Music Awards 2021
Presto Music has announced its 2021 Awards. Sir Antonio Pappano’s recording of Vaughan Williams’ Symphonies Nos 4 & 6 with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live) and Marko Letonja conducting Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and baritenor Michael Spyres on Baritenor (Erato) are amongst the Top 10 Albums of the Year. Steven Isserlis’ acclaimed new
This Week at the BBC Proms: Vladimir Jurowski and Steven Isserlis
Vladimir Jurowski and Steven Isserlis return to Royal Albert Hall for their BBC Proms performance on Thursday, 12 August at 19:30 BST. This marks Jurowski’s final appearance as the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal Conductor of his monumental 14-year tenure. He is joined by the internationally acclaimed cellist Steven Isserlis, for William Walton’s Cello Concerto.
Steven Isserlis and Sir Antonio Pappano Win at the 2021 BBC Music Magazine Awards
Steven Isserlis and Sir Antonio Pappano were honoured at the 2021 BBC Music Magazine Awards. The prestigious awards were announced on BBC Radio 3 and the magazine’s website. The BBC Music Magazine Awards is the only classical music recording awards in which the main categories are voted for by the
Watch: Steven Isserlis Performs with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Marquee TV 14 April
Steven Isserlis performs Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Mark Elder on Marquee TV. The concert, which also features Janáček’s Jealousy and Dvořák’s The Wild Dove, will be available to stream from 14 April, 2021 at 20:00 GMT. The LPO writes: “Feelings burn brightly in Bohemia, and no-one understands that like Sir Mark
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