I wrote a book! :) "Contemporary Cello Etudes" is released by Berklee Press
I wrote a book! :) "Contemporary Cello Etudes" is released by Berklee Press

This etude book features a groundbreaking collection of 28 Non-Classical cello etudes, composed by 13 contributors, from a range of stylistic backgrounds, available by clicking HERE!

Progressively ordered from Beginner to Advanced, all 28 published etudes come with the following:

  1. Background Text on the style/technique

  2. Tips on how to practice it and master your performance

  3. Online reference recordings played by the composers (You can access these with a code that comes with the book)

  4. A list of “Ideas for Further Practice” (We hope that each etude is just a jumping off point for your own creative journey!)

You can watch this informational video from our initial fundraising campaign HERE!

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS: Ashley Bathgate (member of Bang on a Can All-Stars), Stephan Braun (jazz cellist from Berlin), Rushad Eggleston (rhythm goblin from the Land of Sneth), Rufus Cappadocia (African cello specialist), Erik Friedlander (modern jazz cellist with John Zorn’s Masada Trio), Eugene Friesen (GRAMMY-winning multi-style cellist), Natalie Haas (Celtic cellist with Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser), Giovanni Sollima (cellist/composer from Italy), Mark Summer (GRAMMY-winning founder of Turtle Island Quartet), Jacob Szekely (jazz cellist and educator at String Project Los Angeles), Matt Turner (jazz cellist and educator at Lawrence University), Jeffrey Zeigler (former member of the Kronos Quartet), Mike Block (GRAMMY-winning member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble)

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Mike Block
Performed in Guangzhou, China with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Pamela Frank, Michael Stern, and more!

Had a great time in January performing with so many great musicians, and Directing the "Silk Road Workshops" as part of the 2018 Youth Music Culture Guangdong festival! Highlights included performing a duo with one of my childhood idols, Edgar Meyer,  playing a Beethoven Quartet with the legendary violinist Pamela Frank, playing Beethoven 3rd Symphony with Maestro Michael Stern at the helm, and leading the entire orchestra in an Encore Finale of an original tune of mine - check out the fun video by clicking HERE!

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Mike Block
Fall Solo Tour Dates Announced

Oct 18 Woods Hole, MA
Oct 19 Newton, MA
Oct 21 Brooklyn, NY
Oct 27 London, England
Nov 5 New Haven, CT
Nov 6 Oneanta, NY
Nov 7/8 Pittsburgh, PA
Nov 9/10 Columbus, OH
Nov 11 Troy, OH
Nov 12 Cleveland, OH
Nov 13 Chicago, IL
Nov 14 Skokie, IL
Nov 15 Appleton, WI
Dec 6 Cambridge, MA

Visit the Tour Page for more details. 

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TourKatherine Forbes
Online fundraising campaign for new Contemporary Cello Etude Book

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.

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NewsKatherine Forbes
Youth Music Culture Guangdong

This 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.

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NewsKatherine Forbes