We are excited to announce that we have launched the online fundraising campaign for our new book, Contemporary Cello Etudes: Studies in Style and Technique, featuring 30 brand-new, never-before-published, non-classical cello etudes, composed by 13 wonderful contributors! Check out our campaign video, and please consider purchasing and helping us spread the word! :) The other contributors include Rushad Eggleston, Erik Friedlander, Mark Summer, Ashley Bathgate, Giovanni Sollima, Jacob Szekely, Natalie Haas, Rufus Cappadocia, Eugene Friesen, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Matt Turner. Click here to learn more.
Read MoreSandeep Das, an Indian Tabla player, Kinan Idnawi, a Syrian oud player, Farzin Dehghan, an Iranian Kemanche player, and myself performed live online to help celebrate the culture and some of the people from the countries on the travel ban list. #MusicUnites Click here to watch live broadcast.
Read MoreThe Silk Road Ensemble won a 2017 Grammy award for our album Sing Me Home! Visit SilkRoadProject.org
Read MoreThis was the debut of an annual educational event for Chinese Classical Musicians in Guangzhou, China, led by Yo-Yo Ma, and conductor Long Yu. I directed the non-classical portions of this event, as well as performed the Zhou Lin Duo Concerto for Cello and Sheng at the Opening Ceremony with fellow Silk Road Ensemble member Wu Tong, and Resident Conductor of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Jing Huan. Click here to visit YMCGChina.com.
Read MorePerformed at RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival with legends Tony Trischka, Mike Marshall, Bryan Sutton, Darol Anger, Michael Daves, Andy Hall, and Missy Raines in a set featuring all of us Bluegrass teachers from the groundbreaking instructional website.
Read MoreAll 14 patent claims for my design of an intentional harness to enable a cellist to stand while playing was approved by the US Government.
Read MoreDirected by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville (20-Feet from Stardom), I’m honored to be shown few times playing and speaking in this beautiful and moving film tracing the fascinating life stories of some of my colleagues in the Silk Road Ensemble!
Read MoreI performed an all-cello concert with Yo-Yo Ma, Chicago Symphony cellists John Sharp (Principal), Katinka Kleijn, Richard Hirschl, Loren Brown, as well as Jeffrey Ziegler (Kronos Quartet) and Ashley Bathgate (Bang on a Can All-Stars) in a concert featuring many of my arrangements!
Read MoreI had the honor of being the first cellist after Yo-Yo Ma to perform the Zhao Lin "Duo concerto" for Cello and Sheng (Chinese traditional wind instrument), along with fellow Silk Road Ensemble member Wu Tong, and Maestro Alistair Willis. This was my first concerto performance in many years, and I had a wonderful week in Springfield seeing all of the Abraham Lincoln historical sites! Also, to my knowledge, these were the first concerto performances by a standing cellist :) Click here to watch video.
Read MoreI was doing a bunch of recording at the end of 2015 for my new album of American folk standards, featuring musicians Darol Anger, Joe Walsh, Stash Wyslouch, Karl Doty, Balla Kouyate, Indrissa Kone, Greg Liszt, and others! I am excited and grateful that the legendary Club Passim has awarded this project an Iguana Music Fund Grant to support cost of recording at the wonderful Dimension Sound Studios in Boston.
Read MoreI spent five months planning the curriculums in multiple styles (Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical), with a comprehensive Beginner Multi-Style curriculum, and a boat load of Intermediate/Advanced Technique videos. We even have a section on Rhythmic Playing, Chopping and Singing-while-Playing! I spent 9 LONG days in the studio making this extensive Library, and even got Rushad Eggleston and Jeremy Kittel to join me for a day to record performance versions of most of what I taught. If all that wasnt enough, the coolest part about ArtistWorks is that I can do 1-on-1 Video Exchanges with my students to still give personalized feedback, and form a close relationship over the long run. If you, or someone you love, is a cellist, come check it out!!
Read MoreSo I have been working on the design for 2 years, and now The Block Strap is finally available for Pre-Orders, expected to be shipped by May 1st!
Read MoreAt the end of a week long residency Feb 8-12 with the Peoria Symphony in Illinois, I was featured on the hour long WTVP show "SoundBites", playing music from my solo show. Not sure when it will air yet ....
Read MoreI played cello in a string octet backing up "Jenna" in the Series Finale, aired 1/31/13. Goodbye Liz Lemon!
Read MoreIf you ever dreamed of watching Christopher Walken pretend to play the cello, than THIS is your chance!!
Read Moreand other chamber music at the Canandaigua LakeMusic Festival in NY state - I did a short radio interview that you can listen to here.
at the WWW Conference, founded by Richard Saul Wurman, the founder of TED. Check out my Facebook page for pics!
Read MoreAppointed Associated Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts! Berklee is the most famous school for college-level education in non-classical styles. I will be a Visiting Professor in Fall 2012, and start teaching a full cello studio in Spring 2013.
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