Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival Presents Around the World in Seven Cellos

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF), Cape Cod’s premiere presenter of summer chamber music presents Around the World in Seven Cellos on Friday, August 17, 7:30 pm at First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street, Wellfleet.

Cellist Amit Peled brings his immensely popular “Cello Gang” to the Cape in a concert of entertaining and arresting arrangements for this unique ensemble. One of the most sought-after cello pedagogues, Amit Peled returns to the festival with the next generation of aspiring string musicians. Composed of his students at the Peabody Institute, the Cello Gang tours nationally and internationally, performing cello choir repertoire in addition to orchestral accompaniment with their professor as soloist.
Since its founding by Sam Sanders, the Festival has featured and promoted many young rising stars – including Joshua Bell and Yo Yo Ma. This is an opportunity to hear fine cellists, who garner rave reviews wherever they perform, at the start of their own bright journey.
A highlight of the performance is Peled’s appearance with the famed 1733 Matteo Goffriller cello, on loan from the widow of famed Catalan cellist Pablo Casals. The instrument was played by Casals himself for such important dignitaries as Queen Victoria and John F. Kennedy during his highly successful eight-decade career. More than 30 years following Casals’ passing, his widow entrusted Israeli-American Peled with the instrument on long term loan. The opportunity has been a remarkable experience for him, last year celebrating the centennial of a Casal’s 1915 performance at Peabody Conservatory of John Hopkins University in a duplicate concert performance on the same instrument, where Peled currently serves as professor.

Grammy-nominated cellist, conductor, and pedagogue Amit Peled’s dynamic career spans the globe performing for captivated audiences. Founder and Artistic Director of the Mount Vernon Virtuosi, Mr. Peled combines a growing conducting schedule, while continuing a thriving solo career and his professorship at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. In his continued quest to make classical music more accessible, Mr. Peled recently published a children’s book “A Cello Named Pablo’ and released a new cello technique method book ‘The First Hour’.

In 2017, Peled recorded the unknown music of Nadia Boulanger, which garnered a Grammy® nomination. As an active chamber musician, Peled is a founding member of the famed Tempest Trio with pianist, Alon Goldstein and violinist, Ilya Kaler.

Program: Around the World in Seven Cellos
The Cello Gang: Amit Peled, Mairead Flory, Ismael Guerrero, Javier Iglesias Martin, Joseph Staten, Jiaoyang “Sunny” Xu, Tzu-Jou “Zoi” Yeh

LUIGI BOCCHERINI (1750 – 1836)
Sonata in C Major for Two Cellos
Allegro moderato
Largo
Allegro

JOSEPH WERNER (1693 – 1766)
Elegy for Four Cellos, Opus 21

MAX BRUCH (1838 – 1920)
Kol Nidre, Opus 47

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA (1921 – 1992)
Liebertango (arranged by Nick Halsey)

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732 – 1809)
Concerto in No.1 in C Major
Moderato
Adagio
Allegro molto

DAVID POPPER (1843 – 1913)
Hungarian Rhapsody, Opus 68
For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2018 season, performers, mission and venues, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Twitter.