Alisa Weilerstein, a Young Cellist on the Fast Road to Success

Alisa Weilerstein is still in her 20s, but already shepursued her career with fervor as both chamber
is hailed by New York Magazine as the "heiressmusic performer and soloist with major
apparent to Yo-Yo Ma." Washington, DC recentlyorchestras. She and her parents comprise the
enjoyed her extraordinary talent at the Sixth & IWeilerstein Trio based at the New England
Historic Synagogue accompanied by pianist InonConservatory in Boston. Along with receiving
Barnatan. The program, one of their favorites,numerous honors, including an Avery Fisher
featured four works for cello ranging across twoCareer Grant and the Leonard Bernstein Prize,
centuriesshe graduated from Columbia University in 2004
They opened with Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 5,with a B.A. in Russian history.
written as he entered his final period. The thirdThe opportunity that has meant the most to her
and last movement portends his use of fugues inis performing in November 2009 at the White
his 9th symphony and his late string quartets.House. The musical event, the first of several
Next they played Benjamin Britten's Cello Sonataplanned over the next few years, allowed her to
in C major composed in 1961. The only sonata hework with 24 cello students from all over the
wrote, it was dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich,country and play for the President and his family.
as were his three cello suites written betweenShe will not soon forget the reaction on the faces
1964 and 1971.of his daughter Malia and the other youngsters
The second portion of the evening began with deattending.
Falla's Suite Populaire Espagnole, six melodic songsWeilerstein's demanding schedule this season
from folk or popular traditions which thealready has included two performances with
composer arranged in 1926 with unique harmonics.Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, once in Venezuela
The program closed with Chopin's Cello Sonata inwith the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, and
G minor, the last of his compositions to beat her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in early
published, the only one he wrote for the cello, andMay. Afterwards, she flew to London for the
one of nine he wrote for instruments other than2010 European Concert to mark the founding of
the piano. Written in 1846, it was dedicated to histhe Berlin Philharmonic. While in England, she was
friend the cellist Auguste-Joseph Franchomme.guest soloist with the Halle Orchestra in
They performed it together in 1848 at Chopin'sManchester playing the Dvorak Concerto in B
final public concert before his death a year later.Minor before flying back in time to repeat the
Weilerstein points out that Chopin did not write aDvorak with the Virginia Symphony for the
lot of chamber music, but this sonata is soVirginia Arts Festival in Williamsburg during the
beautifully written and profound that it makes herMemorial Day Weekend. Prior to her Washington
wonder what else he would have written had heconcert, she made her annual appearance at the
lived longer. This work and the others she choseSpoleto Festival in Charleston, one of her favorite
for this event represent the journey she likes tovenues.
take in a program rather than focus on a singleAs one of many who have diabetes, she takes
French or German composer. She finds thegreat satisfaction in speaking to children with the
Beethoven sonata, the earliest of the group,disease and presenting herself and her
especially exciting because Beethoven lovedaccomplishments as proof that they can lead
fugues and she hears a lot of jazz and ragtime inhappy and productive lives.
it, something the typical listener might not expect."I want them to remember that there still isn't a
Weilerstein has been playing the cello since thecure and we must keep working toward that
age of four-and-a half when she begged hergoal," she said. "In the meantime, I keep telling my
mother for lessons. Since making her debut withstory and assuring children that we can do
the Cleveland Orchestra at age 13, she haswhatever we want.