Steven Isserlis

Infobox_Person
name = Steven Isserlis

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birth_date = birth date and age|1958|12|19|df=y
birth_place = London, England.
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known_for = Cellist
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children = 1 son
spouse = Pauline
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website = http://www.stevenisserlis.com
religion = Judaism

Steven Isserlis (born 19 December 1958, London) is one of the most renowned living cellists. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound (due in part to his use of gut strings) and total command of phrasing. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was much influenced by the great iconoclast of Russian cello playing, Daniil Shafran. He was awarded a CBE in 1998.

Personal life

Isserlis was born in London into a musical Jewish family on 19 December 1958. His grandfather, was one of 12 musicians allowed to leave Russia in the 1920s to promote Russian culture, but he never returned. His sister Annette Isserlis is a violist and his other sister Rachel Isserlis is a violinist. He went to the City of London School. He left school at the age of 14 years and then moved to Scotland to be a student of Jane Cowan.cite episode |title=Desert Island Discs with Steven Isserlis |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20071202.shtml
series=Desert Island Discs | serieslink=Desert Island Discs |network=BBC |station=Radio 4 |airdate=2007-12-02] He is a Beatles fan and his long hairstyle is inspired by the Beatles. His family were supportive of his music career when he was not earning much money.

He is married to Pauline, a former flute player, and they have a son, Gabriel.

Professional life

Isserlis plays both as soloist and chamber musician and has revived many neglected works. He has also organized a number of festivals with long-term collaborators such as Joshua Bell and Tabea Zimmermann.

He was awarded a CBE in 1998, and collected his award with his father, as his mother died earlier that week. He was awarded the Schumann Prize 2000 by the city of Zwickau. He plays the Feuermann Stradivarius, on loan from The Nippon Music Foundation. He also part-owns a Montagnana cello from 1740 and a Guadagnini cello of 1745, which he played exclusively from 1979 to 1998 and part-owns with David Waterman, cellist of the Endellion Quartet.

He is also the author of two books for children on the lives of famous composers: the first is "Why Beethoven Threw the Stew" (Faber & Faber, 2001), and the second "Why Handel Waggled His Wig" (Faber & Faber, 2006).

Isserlis is Artistic Director of the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove in West Cornwall, where he both performs and teaches.

In 2007, Isserlis' recording of the Bach Cello Suitescite book |last=Isserlis |first=Steven |editor=Hyperion |title=Bach: The Cello Suites |origyear=2007 |url=http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/67541-B.pdf |format=PDF |pages=5-6] was released and won a "Gramophone" award.

References

External links

*http://www.stevenisserlis.com/ - personal website