The Mind Over Finger Podcast

I'm very excited to have world-renowned violinist Leila Josefowicz on the show for you today! As you'll hear in our discussion, Leila is a profoundly passionate and dedicated musician who approaches her craft with great depth and she shares incredible wisdom with us. Among many things, Leila elaborates on: The power of memorization What the "practice of violin playing" means to her How exploring new repertoire helped her transition out of her "child prodigy" years Her advice to all musicians suffering from lack of motivation The importance of desire and dedication in the cultivation of talent How our need to feel comfortable while performing is counterproductive Vivid mindful practice This is a particularly powerful conversation, and I know you'll find inspiration and incredible value in this episode. MORE ABOUT LEILA JOSEFOWICZ: Website: https://www.leilajosefowicz.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeilaBJo Find all the details for Leila's World Premiere performance of 'la linea evocativa. un disegno per violino solo' by Matthias Pintscher HERE. On the occasion of 'George Condo. Internal Riot' we are honored to host classical violinist Leila Josefowicz in the gallery to perform a new piece of original music in response to 'George Condo. Internal Riot,' an exhibition of the artist's new paintings and works on paper that runs through 23 January 2021 at Hauser & Wirth New York. 'Music is such a huge part of my life, without it I don't know if I'd ever have painted anything. There are so many great pieces of music that have inspired me to paint…My favorite thing is to put on a record in the studio and to still be painting without noticing the fact that the music has stopped playing for hours and is just running through my head.'–George Condo The performance comes at an incredibly challenging time for professional musicians. Condo is deeply aware of the adversity they face, and this specially organized event signifies his support for live music and for new ways in which it can reach people. Join us on Friday 20 November 2020 11 am PST / 2 pm EST / 7 pm GMT. Click here to register. The performance will be streaming live from New York City on hauserwirth.com Leila's last Pre-Covid performance in Prague, Performing the Alban Berg Violin Concerto with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra: https://prso.czechradio.eu/leila-josefowicz-and-prso-8179758 Biography Leila Josefowicz's passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programmes and enthusiasm for performing new works. In recognition of her outstanding achievement and excellence in music, she won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, joining prominent scientists, writers and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life. Highlights of Josefowicz's 2019/20 season include opening the London Symphony Orchestra's season with Sir Simon Rattle and returning to San Francisco Symphony with the incoming Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen to perform his Violin Concerto. Further engagements include concerts with Los Angeles Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, where she will be working with conductors at the highest level, including Susanna Mälkki, Matthias Pintscher and John Adams. A favourite of living composers, Josefowicz has premiered many concertos, including those by Colin Matthews, Steven Mackey and Esa-Pekka Salonen, all written specially for her. This season, she will perform the UK premiere of Helen Grime's Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Dalia Stasevska. Other recent premieres include John Adams'Scheherazade.2 (Dramatic Symphony for Violin and Orchestra) in 2015 with the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert, and Luca Francesconi's Duende – The Dark Notes in 2014 with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Susanna Mälkki. Josefowicz enjoyed a close working relationship with the late Oliver Knussen, performing various concerti, including his violin concerto, together over 30 times. Alongside pianist John Novacek, with whom she has enjoyed a close collaboration since 1985, Josefowicz has performed recitals at world-renowned venues such as New York's Zankel Hall, Washington DC's Kennedy Center and London's Wigmore Hall, as well as in Reykjavik, Chicago, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. This season, they appear together at Washington DC's Library of Congress, New York's Park Avenue Armory and Amherst College. She will also join Thomas Adès in recital to perform the world premiere of his new violin and piano work at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Japanese premiere at the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation. Recent highlights include engagements with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Washington's National Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and Boston and Finnish Radio symphony orchestras. In summer 2019, Josefowicz took part in a special collaboration between Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Ballet, and Company Wayne McGregor featuring the music of composer-conductor Thomas Adès. Josefowicz has released several recordings, notably for Deutsche Grammophon, Philips/Universal and Warner Classics and was featured on Touch Press's acclaimed iPadapp, The Orchestra. Her latest recording, released in 2019, features Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted byHannu Lintu. She has previously received nominations for Grammy Awards for her recordings of Scheherazade.2 with the St Louis Symphony conducted by David Robertson, and Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer. Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to an exceptionally productive practice using the metronome. This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights. You can check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday by visiting: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources! And click here for details on how to work with me: https://www.mindoverfinger.com/workwithdrg And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction! You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Today I'm bringing you a conversation previously aired on the Violin Podcast, hosted by Eric Mrugala. On the Violin Podcast Eric interviews violinists worldwide on a bi-weekly basis discussing violin news, practice tips, career advice, and their journey with the violin. Now, this was for the Violin Podcast, but it's valuable information for all musicians, regardless of the instrument. Eric and I talked about How to solve problems in the practice room How to prepare optimally for performances, auditions, and competitions Effective mindful practice that yields results The importance of knowing yourself when it comes to working efficiently …and much more! I hope you enjoy this conversation with Eric Mrugala from the Violin Podcast, and that you find some useful tips and inspiration for your work today! Let's go to the show! MORE ABOUT THE VIOLIN PODCAST We interview violinists worldwide on a bi-weekly basis discussing violin news, practice tips, career advice, and their journey with the violin. The podcast: https://violinpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violinpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violinpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/violinpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzi3HNgHFQ5ndr9K2OeJYag Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to an outstanding practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction! You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

For this episode, I bring you a powerful conversation with world-renowned Alexander Technique teacher Lori Schiff. As Lori shares on her website, the Alexander Technique "is a method for living better through your own mindfulness in action." It can help you gain confidence and reduce pain, tension and fatigue. It allows you to connect with yourself to nourish presence and mobility and, from there, leads to performing better in all areas of your life. Lori expands on: How Alexander Technique affected her life and her journey Who the Alexander Technique is for What the Alexander Technique is: a method for living that teaches us to pay attention and choose our reactions to stimuli How the Alexander Technique encourages the connection with our self – our wholeness – and the development of conscious control (mind body connector) How the Alexander Technique is a means to more freedom, for the whole person and their whole life How it can help in class and in lessons, in the practice room, and on stage This is an information and inspiration packed episode and I know you will appreciate Lori's knowledge and wisdom and lover her energy as much as I did! MORE ABOUT LORI SCHIFF: Website: http://lorischiff.com/ Ms. Schiff is a full-time professor of The Alexander Technique at The Juilliard School and a guest teaching artist for various schools and organizations nationally and internationally. She has been a faculty member of The Juilliard School since 1991 and was in residence at The Aspen Music Festival and School from 1993 - 2015. Ms. Schiff joined The Riverside Initiative for The Alexander Technique as Associate Director and Senior Teacher for Teacher Training in 2018. Ms. Schiff was Certified as a Teacher of the Alexander Technique at ACAT-New York in 1987. She continued with years of postgraduate training with Walter and Dilys Carrington at the Constructive Teaching Centre in London. She is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Music in Trumpet Performance and has her Masters in Music from Manhattan School of Music. She served as the Alexander Technique Teacher for the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artists Development Program, and at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. She also served on the senior faculty of the American Center for the Alexander Technique's Teacher Certification Program. Institutions where she has been a guest teaching artist include: The New World Symphony, The U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, The U.S. Army Field Band and U.S. Army Soldier's Chorus, The San Diego Symphony, ToneBank International Music Festival, National Youth Orchestra of China, University of Maryland Opera Studio, and The Internationale Meistersinger Akademie in Neumarkt, Germany. She has presented Master Classes at institutions including The Metropolitan Opera, Opera America, West Point Military Academy, Fort Meade, The Academy (ACJW) at Carnegie Hall, Manhattan School of Music, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, The National Orchestral Institute, The Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra and The New York Youth Symphony, Theater Aspen, MorseLife Senior Residences, and Holland and Knight, LLP. In 2013, she assisted in organizing and taught the Alexander Technique for actress and playwright, Anna Deavere Smith's Acting and Empathy course in San Francisco. She returned to San Francisco in 2014 to work with Ms. Smith's course, Personal Narratives: Global Identities. Ms. Schiff is a recognized senior teacher of the Alexander Technique by the American Society for the Alexander Technique and has presented master classes at the AmSAT Annual Meetings in San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Las Vegas, New York City, Boston, and Minneapolis. She was a guest lecturer on Teaching the Alexander Technique in schools of music for The International Congress for the Alexander Technique in Lugano, Switzerland. Ms. Schiff served on the Board of Directors of the Aspen Music Festival and School as Chair of the Music Committee for nine years and was President and Chairman of the Board of The American Center for the Alexander Technique for five years. More recently, she completed two years on the Board of Directors of The American Society for the Alexander Technique. Ms. Schiff has a private Alexander Technique practice in NYC. She is the founding director of Flight Feather Productions, LLC, an organization for creating and supporting uplifting educational experiences for corporate and artistic communities. With composer Lance Horne, she is the Co-Director of Creativity Lab, a program for inspiring community and collaboration through collective creativity. As a committed recreational runner, she has completed four marathons, several half marathons, and countless 10ks, 5 Milers, 4 Milers, and 5ks. Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday! Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction! You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this inspiring and motivating conversation, National Symphony double bass player Ira Gold shares his wisdom on practicing and on leading a meaningful musical life. Ira expands on: How the things he does are reflections of his passions How serving the community and those who are following the artistic path has become vital part of his career How his career grew out of him making the conscious decision of seriously dedicating himself to his musical education The important of adopting a growth mindset and of being mindful of the information that is available to you and how you can apply it to nurture your long-term goals The importance of being teachable The new metrics he uses to define success How the pandemic has allowed him to take a step back and reflect Practicing strategies: Constructing and deconstructing Adding and subtracting How to bring life experiences into your art – everything you experience and everything you are influences your playing How to maximize your learning experience – in college and beyond MORE ABOUT IRA: Website: https://irajgold.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BassRabbi Ira Gold made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, performing the Vanhal Bass Concerto with the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the National Symphony in 2005, he performed with several American orchestras, as Section Bass with the Minnesota Orchestra and as guest Principal Bassist with the San Francisco Symphony and Detroit Symphony. He has attended festivals such as Grand Teton Music Festival, Domaine Forget Music Academy, Bach Festival Leipzig, Aspen, and Tanglewood. Mr. Gold spent several summers at the International Festival Institute at Round Top both as a student and faculty. He is continually in demand for recitals and masterclasses, including recent visits at The Colburn School, University of Southern California, The Moscow State Conservatory, Boston University, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, University of Colorado (Boulder), The Juilliard School, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, The International Society of Bassists Convention, and The Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Gold maintains a studio of private students, has taught lessons and coached chamber music in the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship program, and has been a Double Bass Faculty member of Peabody Conservatory since 2009. He is also a co-founding member of Peabody Bass Works, a one week bass camp held every July at Peabody Conservatory. Mr. Gold has been interviewed multiple times by Jason Heath for the podcast Contrabass Conversations, and more recently as a featured guest on The Audition Breakthrough Summit, which launched in March 2017. In 2016 he published an article for the ISB's journal Bass World, in which he discusses the qualities of teaching that affect the relationship of teacher and student. An active chamber musician, Mr. Gold has performed with East Coast Chamber Orchestra, the NSO Millenium Stage Prelude Series, Peabody Conservatory Faculty, and the New Orchestra of Washington. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Boston University's College of Fine Arts, and his Master of Music degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he won the strings division of the 2005 Concerto Competition. His primary teachers include Edwin Barker and Paul Ellison, and additional studies with Albert Laszlo, Kenneth Harper, Dennis Whittaker, Mark Shapiro, and Harry Lantz. Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction! You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this episode I share with you the conversation I had with Trevor Jones on his Podcast, the Scholarship Roadmap! We cover a lot of ground in this 40-minute conversation including: The importance finding the right teachers for your education. Developing an efficient practicing system and excellent awareness Why practicing slowly isn't enough A mini Music Mastery Experience lesson Comfort and effectiveness in your performance Reverse Engineering your audition preparation Chunking, mapping, and learning - deep practice model Spotlight Performing Why finding the right teacher can be tricky. Your relationship with constructive criticism How to be teachable Communicating with your teacher Trust your own work and show them who you are. I had a great time speaking with Trevor and I hope you find tons of value in our discussion MORE ABOUT TREVOR AND THE SCHOLARSHIP ROADMAP: The Scholarship Roadmap: https://thescholarshiproadmap.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescholarshiproadmap/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/thescholarshiproadmap Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scholarship-roadmap/id1526994519 The Scholarship Roadmap is an online program developed by bassist and educator, Trevor Jones. Trevor is the house bassist at the Marriott Theatre and was the instructor of double bass and bass guitar at Illinois Wesleyan University School of Music from 2012-2020. Trevor developed The Scholarship Roadmap after a decade of guiding students through the music school preparation process. Student musicians who are pursuing a career in music will benefit from The Scholarship Roadmap. The program will assess the student's needs, align them with the right school and teacher, and focus the student's attention on the fundamentals of the music school preparation process. "For years I have advocated for my students to attend colleges and universities that best serve their needs. That doesn't mean you need to attend a brand-name school. Many fine institutions will not only serve your musical needs but will pay for you to attend. It is my sincere belief, that a proactive approach can result in a stellar musical education that won't leave you saddled with debt." I'm Trevor Jones, a bassist, and educator based in Chicago. I perform in symphony halls, clubs, and theaters. For the last five years, I have been the house bassist at The Marriott Theatre, where I have played in over 25 productions. I also perform on Broadway in Chicago, most notably as a substitute for the Chicago production of Hamilton. I have toured across the country and released a handful of recordings with my group Molehill. We have been been featured in online publications and the Chicago Tribune. As an educator, I was the instructor of double bass and bass guitar for eight years at Illinois Wesleyan University School of Music. I also maintain a studio at Midwest Young Artists in Highwood, IL. For years I have advocated for my students to attend colleges and universities that best serve their needs. That doesn't mean you need to attend a brand-name school. There are many fine institutions that will not only serve your musical needs but will pay for you to attend. It is my sincere belief, that a proactive approach can result in a stellar musical education that won't leave you saddled Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Head over to the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday! Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources! Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this episode I'm talking health and wellness with David Cartolano, Host of the Conditioned Musician podcast! David is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist and has a bachelor's degree in exercise science and he's on a mission to build stronger, more resilient, and more creative musicians. We cover the things that musicians can do to be healthier, practice better, perform more optimally, and, overall, be more happy, productive, and conditioned musicians! David has a lot of great advice for us, so sit back, relax, and start thinking about the different ways you can improve your musical life MORE ABOUT DAVID: Classically Conditioned Program: www.com Instagram: http://bit.ly/tcmigp FB Group: http://bit.ly/tcmfbgroup Podcast: http://bit.ly/tcmpod2pod More Mind Over Finger Podcast episodes about injury recovery: 058 Stefan Jackiw: Overcoming Injury 044 Sarah Whitney: Thriving Through Injury Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Head over to the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday! Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources! Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking about all things mindful practice with international cello soloist Alisa Weilerstein. Alisa has attracted widespread attention for her playing that combines natural virtuosity and technical precision with impassioned musicianship. In this episode, Alisa shares insight on: How her parents nurtured a natural unfolding and healthy progression of her career Practicing: focusing efficient practice, intentional breaks and time off management (so important for long term sustainability + physical and mental health!) Her approach to learning a piece The importance of keeping musicality part of the technical work (as she said "Keeping everything married") How practicing mindfully is the key for her to get rid of nerves and feel comfortable in performance How she plays mock performance for friends How to develop a natural rubato using the metronome … and much more! It's an information and inspiration packed episode and I hope you enjoy and find value in our discussion! MORE ABOUT ALISA WEILERSTEIN alisaweilerstein.com twitter.com/aweilerstein facebook.com/AlisaWeilerstein instagram.com/alisaweilerstein/ Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur "genius grant" Fellowship in 2011. Today her career is truly global in scope, taking her to the most prestigious international venues for solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concerto collaborations with all the preeminent conductors and orchestras worldwide. "Weilerstein is a throwback to an earlier age of classical performers: not content merely to serve as a vessel for the composer's wishes, she inhabits a piece fully and turns it to her own ends," marvels the New York Times. "Weilerstein's cello is her id. She doesn't give the impression that making music involves will at all. She and the cello seem simply to be one and the same," agrees the Los Angeles Times. As the UK's Telegraph put it, "Weilerstein is truly a phenomenon." Bach's six suites for unaccompanied cello figure prominently in Weilerstein's current programming. Over the past two seasons, she has given rapturously received live accounts of the complete set on three continents, with recitals in New York, Washington DC, Boston, Los Angeles, Berkeley and San Diego; at Aspen and Caramoor; in Tokyo, Osaka, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, London, Manchester, Aldeburgh, Paris and Barcelona; and for a full-capacity audience at Hamburg's iconic new Elbphilharmonie. During the global pandemic, she has further cemented her status as one of the suites' leading exponents. Released in April 2020, her Pentatone recording of the complete set became a Billboard bestseller and was named "Album of the Week" by the UK's Sunday Times. As captured in Vox's YouTube series, her insights into Bach's first G-major prelude have been viewed almost 1.5 million times. During the first weeks of the lockdown, she chronicled her developing engagement with the suites on social media, fostering an even closer connection with her online audience by streaming a new movement each day in her innovative #36DaysOfBach project. As the New York Times observed in a dedicated feature, by presenting these more intimate accounts alongside her new studio recording, Weilerstein gave listeners the rare opportunity to learn whether "the pressures of a pandemic [can] change the very sound a musician makes, or help her see a beloved piece in a new way." Earlier in the 2019-20 season, as Artistic Partner of the Trondheim Soloists, Weilerstein joined the Norwegian orchestra in London, Munich and Bergen for performances including Haydn's two cello concertos, as featured on their acclaimed 2018 release, Transfigured Night. She also performed ten more concertos by Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Elgar, Strauss, Shostakovich, Britten, Barber, Bloch, Matthias Pintscher and Thomas Larcher, with the London Symphony Orchestra, Zurich's Tonhalle Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Tokyo's NHK Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Houston, Detroit and San Diego symphonies. In recital, besides making solo Bach appearances, she reunited with her frequent duo partner, Inon Barnatan, for Brahms and Shostakovich at London's Wigmore Hall, Milan's Sala Verdi and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. To celebrate Beethoven's 250th anniversary, she and the Israeli pianist performed the composer's five cello sonatas in Cincinnati and Scottsdale, and joined Guy Braunstein and the Dresden Philharmonic for Beethoven's Triple Concerto, as heard on the duo's 2019 Pentatone recording with Stefan Jackiw, Alan Gilbert and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Committed to expanding the cello repertoire, Weilerstein is an ardent champion of new music. She has premiered two important new concertos, giving Pascal Dusapin's Outscape "the kind of debut most composers can only dream of" (Chicago Tribune) with the co-commissioning Chicago Symphony in 2016 and proving herself "the perfect guide" (Boston Globe) to Matthias Pintscher's cello concerto un despertar with the co-commissioning Boston Symphony the following year. She has since reprised Dusapin's concerto with the Stuttgart and Paris Opera Orchestras and Pintscher's with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and with the Danish Radio Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony, both under the composer's leadership. It was also under Pintscher's direction that she gave the New York premiere of his Reflections on Narcissus at the New York Philharmonic's inaugural 2014 Biennial, before reuniting with him to revisit the work at London's BBC Proms. She has worked extensively with Osvaldo Golijov, who rewrote Azul for cello and orchestra for her New York premiere performance at the opening of the 2007 Mostly Mozart Festival. Since then she has played the work with orchestras around the world, besides frequently programming his Omaramor for solo cello. Grammy nominee Joseph Hallman has written multiple compositions for her, including a cello concerto that she premiered with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and a trio that she premiered on tour with Barnatan and clarinetist Anthony McGill. At the 2008 Caramoor festival, she premiered Lera Auerbach's 24 Preludes for Violoncello and Piano with the composer at the keyboard, and the two subsequently reprised the work at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Washington's Kennedy Center and for San Francisco Performances. Weilerstein's recent Bach and Transfigured Night recordings expand her already celebrated discography. Earlier releases include the Elgar and Elliott Carter cello concertos with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin, named "Recording of the Year 2013" by BBC Music, which made her the face of its May 2014 issue. Her next album, on which she played Dvořák's Cello Concerto with the Czech Philharmonic, topped the U.S. classical chart, and her 2016 recording of Shostakovich's cello concertos with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Pablo Heras-Casado proved "powerful and even mesmerizing" (San Francisco Chronicle). She and Barnatan made their duo album debut with sonatas by Chopin and Rachmaninoff in 2015, a year after she released Solo, a compilation of unaccompanied 20th-century cello music that was hailed as an "uncompromising and pertinent portrait of the cello repertoire of our time" (ResMusica, France). Solo's centerpiece is Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello, a signature work that Weilerstein revisits on the soundtrack of If I Stay, a 2014 feature film starring Chloë Grace Moretz in which the cellist makes a cameo appearance as herself. Weilerstein has appeared with all the major orchestras of the United States, Europe and Asia, collaborating with conductors including Marin Alsop, Daniel Barenboim, Jiří Bělohlávek, Semyon Bychkov, Thomas Dausgaard, Sir Andrew Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Mark Elder, Alan Gilbert, Giancarlo Guerrero, Bernard Haitink, Pablo Heras-Casado, Marek Janowski, Paavo Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Cristian Măcelaru, Zubin Mehta, Ludovic Morlot, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Peter Oundjian, Rafael Payare, Donald Runnicles, Yuri Temirkanov, Michael Tilson Thomas, Osmo Vänskä, Joshua Weilerstein, Simone Young and David Zinman. In 2009, she was one of four artists invited by Michelle Obama to participate in a widely celebrated and high-profile classical music event at the White House, featuring student workshops hosted by the First Lady and performances in front of an audience that included President Obama and the First Family. A month later, Weilerstein toured Venezuela as soloist with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under Dudamel, since when she has made numerous return visits to teach and perform with the orchestra as part of its famed El Sistema music education program. Born in 1982, Alisa Weilerstein discovered her love for the cello at just two and a half, when she had chicken pox and her grandmother assembled a makeshift set of instruments from cereal boxes to entertain her. Although immediately drawn to the Rice Krispies box cello, Weilerstein soon grew frustrated that it didn't produce any sound. After persuading her parents to buy her a real cello at the age of four, she developed a natural affinity for the instrument and gave her first public performance six months later. At 13, in 1995, she made her professional concert debut, playing Tchaikovsky's "Rococo" Variations with the Cleveland Orchestra, and in March 1997 she made her first Carnegie Hall appearance with the New York Youth Symphony. A graduate of the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Weiss, Weilerstein also holds a degree in history from Columbia University. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at nine years old, and is a staunch advocate for the T1D community, serving as a consultant for the biotechnology company eGenesis and as a Celebrity Advocate for JDRF, the world leader in T1D research. Born into a musical family, she is the daughter of violinist Donald Weilerstein and pianist Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, and the sister of conductor Joshua Weilerstein. She is married to Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, with whom she has a young child. Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday! Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Today is a special episode: I'm bringing you a conversation I had on another podcast, the awesome Conditioned Musician Podcast hosted by the equally awesome David Cartolano! David is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist and has a bachelor's degree in exercise science, and he's on a mission to build stronger, more resilient, and more creative musicians. Among many things, David and I talk about my own injury experience, how having a sense of introspection can prolong and save your career, how to stay motivated in your work, and we discuss how starting with your fundamentals and with a beginner's mind can be crucial to getting past a rut. MORE ABOUT THE CONDITIONED MUSICIAN: The podcast: https://anchor.fm/david-cartolano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconditionedmusician/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/464238111031975 The Conditioned Musician on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conditioned-musician/id1474021826 And for THE BEST PRACTICING AND PERFORMING SEASON OF YOUR LIFE Dr. Gauthier invites you to join: THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY TO LOVING THE PRACTICE ROOM, ROCKING THE STAGE, WINNING THE JOB, AND TAKING YOUR CAREER TO NEW HEIGHTS A 3-month experience for all musicians, starting September 21, 2020 BOOK A CALL AND LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN GET YOU RESULTS! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Melissa White and Elena Urioste — violinists, yoginis, and dear friends run Intermission, a ground-breaking program that unites body, mind, breath, and music-making through yoga and meditation. MORE ABOUT MELISSA WHITE AND ELENA URIOSTE FROM INTERMISSION: Website: https://www.intermissionsessions.com/ Intermission App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/intermission-app/id1464473222 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intermissionsessions/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intermissionsessions/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/intermissionsr And for THE BEST PRACTICING AND PERFORMING SEASON OF YOUR LIFE Dr. Gauthier invites you to join: THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY TO LOVING THE PRACTICE ROOM, ROCKING THE STAGE, WINNING THE JOB, AND TAKING YOUR CAREER TO NEW HEIGHTS A 3-month experience for all musicians, starting September 21, 2020 BOOK A CALL AND LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN GET YOU RESULTS! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Performance Reboot – A 3-Part Motivation-Reset Workshop for Musicians Rediscover your passion + jumpstart your process – so you're ahead of the pack when concerts come back Stage Ready… Set… GO! Workshop prompts and reflections: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources And for the best practicing and performing season of your life, Dr. Gauthier invites you to join: THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY TO LOVING THE PRACTICE ROOM, ROCKING THE STAGE, WINNING THE JOB, AND TAKING YOUR CAREER TO NEW HEIGHTS A 3-month experience for all musicians, starting September 21, 2020 BOOK A CALL AND LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN GET YOU RESULTS! And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/