Mon 6/6-Sun 6/12
The Aronson Cello Festival honors cellist/educator Lev Aronson (1912-1988), who was living in Riga, Latvia, when Hitler’s Army invaded in 1941 and confiscated his cellos. He lost his parents and sister over the course of the next four years and he himself had many close calls before escaping from a Soviet camp in Poland and eventually emigrating to the United States. He played cello with the Dallas Symphony for near two decades and taught at Baylor University and Southern Methodist University.
“Maestro Aronson centered his philosophy of teaching upon vocal qualities of the instrument,” says the festival’s press release. “His prodigious intellect and mighty heart went beyond the notes and markings on the page. He transformed lives even to this day—decades after his passing. His cello students became a veritable list of who’s who in the cello world. Today, they still carry on his vision of generosity, community and humanity.”
One of his students founded what’s now the Aronson Cello Festival, which takes place this year in Cleveland at the Cleveland Institute of Music where professional musicians, teachers and professional musicians from around the world will converge for the event. The seven-day festival includes more than three dozen events: master classes, seminars, panels, working rehearsals, recitals, concerts, even a children’s book reading. It concludes with a student concert and closing ceremony on Sunday June 12.
Most of the events, except for some evening concerts and a few other events, are free and open to the public. Go here for a complete schedule.
aronsoncellofestival.com/event-schedule