Dealers And Stealers

There are violin dealers out there who scour the schools and prestigious music festivals in search of innocent young very promising string players for the purpose of cultivating a prospective sale of one of their fine instruments that they may own or have “on consignment.” This I have no problems with since, as a string player, one of the great joys of a life in classical music is to own a great instrument from one of the masters of the Cremonese or Venetian or Brescian periods.

What I take issue with is the implied necessity of one of these priceless masterpieces in making a career. So a young player before he/she is near full potential musically or technically or earning power is led to believe that without that Stradivari or Guarneri they will not be able to compete and their very career will be in jeopardy. Throughout the entirety of my more than 50 year playing career I have yet to encounter a string player under the age of 20 with enough knowledge, musicality, and technique to bring everything out of a master instrument. (more…)

A New YouTube Channel

Although I’ve had a YouTube channel for awhile, I’ve recently started to upload new content. I’ll be posting select items in an upcoming media page but in the meantime you can view the new videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/lynnharrell.

And please accept my apologies for not posting anything new for a short while, the travel schedule has been full but I’m putting the final touches on a new post about the differences between performing on an instrument from the Cremonese or Venetian or Brescian period as opposed to one from a living maker.

Photos From The Road: Memphis

My latest recital performance took place on Thursday, October 22nd in Memphis, TN at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre. It was a wonderful event and it gives me the chance to introduce Victor Asuncion, a wonderful pianist I frequently collaborate with.

Caught in mid performance.

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Some Photos From The Road

I recently had the pleasure of performing with Shanghai Quartet at the La Jolla Music Society’s 41st season opening concert. Here are a couple of pics from that concert.

LtoR: Ji-Wen from the Shanghai Quartet, Christopher Beach of La Jolla Chamber Music Society, and me

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Early Influences, Part 2

When we left off in Part 1, I had just traveled to Cleveland to play for George Szell and a short while thereafter, I was offered a position in the Cleveland Orchestra. Well, a few weeks into my first season Szell was frustrated with my ensemble sense and knowledge of the music.

“Your father was such a good musician- what happened to you?” He continued, “ You don’t know the music, you are staring at your part, as if seeing it for the first time, you don’t know how to play with the conductor or your colleagues and the other choirs of the orchestra!”

I, of course, at 18 was in tears. But I recognized that he was right. And the greatest journey of my education began. (more…)

Early Influences, Part 1

In thinking over those highpoints or turning points of ones life it is difficult, without some distance and perspective, to weigh the importance, both positive and negative, of life’s happenings. I would have to start with the choice that my parents made when we moved to Dallas from New York City in 55 or 56.

The main cello teacher in town was a woman and my parents felt after the close association with Ruby Wenzel in Westchester N.Y. that I needed a male teacher. So, slightly nervous that this would not be a good move they contacted Lev Aronson, principal of the Dallas symphony, a brilliant pupil of Piatigorsky in Berlin before the war.

Well, he was totally captivating and I am so pleased that there is a life story of Lev just recently published: “The lost cellos of Lev Aronson” by Frances Brent. He was, for a young boy finding his own way with music, a mesmerizing influence. That I very quickly shared with him the overpowering world of music in a way that I somehow couldn’t with my parents was our secret. Lessons lasting over two hours sometimes were the norm and when one of my parents would collect me they somehow sensed not to intrude on our lessons or what we were doing. (more…)