Steven Isserlis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Isserlis
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Isserlis in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Born | 19 December 1958 London, England |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Cello |
| Years active | 1977–present |
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Steven John Isserlis (born December 19, 1958) is a famous British cellist. He is known as one of the best musicians of his time. Steven Isserlis plays the cello, writes books, and teaches music.
He is special because he plays many different kinds of music. He also uses special strings called gut strings on his cello. These strings give his instrument a unique and beautiful sound.
Steven Isserlis has won many important awards for his music. These include the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award and the Robert Schumann Prize. He has also won two Gramophone Awards and been nominated for two Grammy Awards. He is one of only two living cellists in the Gramophone Hall of Fame.
Today, Isserlis plays a very old and special cello. It was made in 1726 by Antonio Stradivari. This cello is called the Marquis de Corberon. He borrows it from the Royal Academy of Music.
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Early Life and Learning Music
Steven Isserlis grew up in a musical family in London. His mother taught piano, and his father loved playing music. His sisters also played instruments. Music was a big part of their family life.
His grandfather, Julius Isserlis, was a pianist from Russia. He was one of a few musicians allowed to leave Russia in the 1920s. He never went back home.
Steven Isserlis once shared a funny story about his grandfather. When his grandfather arrived in Vienna in 1922, he looked for a flat. The landlady, who was 102 years old, did not want a musician living there. She said her aunt had a noisy musician tenant who would spit on the floor. That tenant was Ludwig van Beethoven!
Steven Isserlis left school at 14 to study cello in Scotland. He later studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. From a young age, his cello hero was Daniil Shafran. Isserlis admired Shafran's honest and soulful playing.
The name Isserlis comes from the Hebrew name 'Israel'.
His Musical Journey
A big moment in Steven Isserlis's career happened in 1988. He asked a composer named John Tavener to write a piece for cello and orchestra. This piece was called The Protecting Veil.
Isserlis played it for the first time at the BBC Proms. People loved the music and his recording of it. It became a very popular classical music album.
Since then, Isserlis has played as a solo artist all over the world. He performs with many famous orchestras. These include the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also helped plan concert series at famous places like Wigmore Hall.
Isserlis likes to play music the way it was first meant to be heard. He often performs with orchestras that use old instruments. For example, he played Beethoven's music with a fortepianist. He also played Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
He has also helped create new versions of famous cello pieces. These include works by Beethoven, Dvořák, and Elgar.
Steven Isserlis also plays new music by living composers. He has premiered works by John Tavener, Lowell Liebermann, and Thomas Adès. He even helped finish a cello piece by Prokofiev.
Isserlis has also organized music festivals. He works with other famous musicians like Joshua Bell and András Schiff. He is also the artistic director of a music seminar in Prussia Cove, where he teaches and performs.
His Special Cellos
Steven Isserlis plays a very special cello made in 1726. It is called the Marquis de Corberon and was made by Antonio Stradivari. This cello is on loan to him from the Royal Academy of Music. Famous cellists like Zara Nelsova used to own it.
He also partly owns two other old cellos. One is a Domenico Montagnana cello from 1740. The other is a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini cello from 1745. He played the Guadagnini cello for many years.
Books He Has Written
Steven Isserlis has written books, especially for young people. He wrote two books about the lives of famous composers:
- Why Beethoven Threw the Stew (published in 2001)
- Why Handel Waggled His Wig (published in 2006)
He also wrote three stories that were turned into music by composer Anne Dudley. These stories are:
- Little Red Violin (and the Big, Bad Cello)
- Goldipegs and the Three Cellos
- Cindercella
In 2016, he published a book for young musicians. It is called Robert Schumann's Advice to Young Musicians Revisited by Steven Isserlis.
In 2021, he released a book about Bach's Cello Suites. This book is called The Bach Cello Suites – A Companion. It tells the history and details of these famous cello pieces.
Awards and Honors
Steven Isserlis has received many awards for his amazing musical talent:
- 1992: Gramophone Award – Contemporary Album of the Year
- 1993: Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award
- 1998: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 2000: Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau
- 2007: Gramophone Award – Instrumental Album of the Year
- 2008: Classical BRIT Awards – Critics’ Award
- 2013: Inducted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame
- 2017: Glashütte Original Music Festival Award
- 2017: The Wigmore Hall Medal
- 2021: BBC Music Magazine Awards – Premiere Award
Personal Life
Steven Isserlis was married to Pauline Mara, who was a flautist. She passed away in 2010. They have a son named Gabriel, who was born in 1990.
Steven Isserlis lives in London.
His Recordings
Steven Isserlis has made many recordings that show how much different music he plays. His latest album, reVisions, includes new versions of works by composers like Debussy and Ravel.
He has recorded Schumann's cello music and all of Bach's solo cello suites. The Bach recording won many awards, including Gramophone's Instrumental Disc of the Year.
Other recordings include music by Brahms and Dvořák with pianist Stephen Hough. He also recorded a fun album of children's cello music. In 2017, his recording of Haydn's Cello Concertos was nominated for a Grammy Award.
See also
In Spanish: Steven Isserlis para niños
