AUGUST - ON THIS #CELLO DAY

1 August - On this #cello day

** 1843- birth of Jules de Swert {Deswert} (Louvain, Belgium) d.1891

cellist, orchestra principal cello, composer & teacher

** 1909 - birth of Micki Ovitz (Rozavlea, Romania) d. 1972

cellist & accordionist {Nazi Holocaust victim}

** 1979 - Erling Blöndal Bengtsson was cello soloist in Vagn Holmboe - Concerto for Cello, Op 120 {UK premiere}, with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Berglund {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1983 - Colin Carr was cello soloist in Benjamin Britten - Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 68 {Proms premiere}, with Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

2 August - On this #cello day

** 1900 - birth of Gertrud Hindemith {nee Rottenberg} (Franfurt, Germany) d. 1967

cellist {wife of the famous composer!}

** 1923 - birth of Don {Donald Richard} Whitton (London, Ontario, Canada) d.2018

cellist, recording musician, classical-jazz-rock fields, viola de gamba & teacher

** 1934 - birth of Josef Luitz (Vienna)

cellist, orchestra principal cello, cello teacher & co-founder of the international chamber music festival ‘Allegro Vivo’

** 1989 - Raphael Wallfisch was cello soloist in William Walton - Cello Concerto, with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edward Downes {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

3 August - On this #cello day

** 1829 - premiere of Rossini - Opera ‘William Tell’ {the opening section of the overture features important writing for 5 solo cellos}

(Salle Le Peletier, Paris)

** 1890 - a notable historical concert on this day: Joseph Joachim, Louis Ries, Ludwig Straus, Alfredo Piatti on cello, Reginald Groome, Caroline Geisler-Schubert and Mary Carmichael in “Saturday Popular Concerts” (James's Hall , London)

** 1948 - birth of Antony Cooke (Sydney, Australia)

cellist, recording artist, university professor, composer, and author of published books and articles on musicology and astronomy {based U.S.A.}

** 1957 - Pau Casals and Marta Montañez {Marta Casals Istomin, nee Marta Montañez} marry in San Juan, Puerto Rico

** 1967 - Joan Dickson was cello soloist in William Walton - Cello Concerto, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1976 - Ralph Kirshbaum was cello soloist, along with György Pauk/violin, in Roger Sessions - Concerto for Violin and Cello {Proms premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lawrence Foster {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1985 - birth of Brent Michael Kutzle (Newport Beach, California, USA)

cellist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer & film composer

 4 August - On this #cello day

** 1756 - Luigi Boccherini, thirteen years old, makes his official debut, performing a cello concerto of his own writing

(Lucca, Italy)

** 1764 - Luigi Boccherini performs for the first time in his new position of cellist for the town of Lucca (a Vespers service in the Chapel)

** 1952 - birth of Tadeusz Wojciechowski (Warsaw)

cellist , chamber musician and conductor

** 1966 - Denis Vigay was cello soloist in Gordon Crosse - Ceremony, Op 19 {World premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

5 August - On this #cello day

** 1694 - birth of Leonardo {Ortensio Salvatore de} Leo (San Vito dei Normanni,Italy) d.1744 

cellist, organist & composer

** 1797 - birth of Friedrich August Kummer (Meiningen, Germany) d.1879

cellist, orchestra principal cello, oboist, composer & pedagogue

** 1775 - birth of Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen  (Vantaa Hakunila, Finland)

rock cellist (founder ‘Apocalyptica’), songwriter, arranger & drummer

** 1913 - David Popper recives notification from the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian empire of the award of the title of Court Councillor (‘Hofrat’) in recognition of his services to the State (unfortunately Popper died just two days later)

** 1974 - Peter Racine Fricker completes his Courante for solo cello (F149)

** 1993 - Sophie Rolland was cello soloist in Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins {Prom Concert at 19.00h, Royal Albert Hall, London} AND 
** 1993 - Rocco Filippini was cello soloist in Luigi Boccherini - Cello Concerto in B flat major {Proms premiere of original version}, with I Virtuosi di Roma conducted by Angelo Stefanato-violin/director {Prom Concert at 22.00h, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1995 - birth of Devo Keenan (USA)

cellist

6 August - On this #cello day

** 1868 - Victor Mirecki Larramat receives the ‘premio de honor’ of the Paris Conservatoire.

** 1946 - birth of Janet Monteith “Jan” Gilbert (New York City)

composer, cellist, electronic music specialist and professor of music

** 1975 - Thomas Igloi was cello soloist in Arnold Cooke - Cello Concerto {World premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Groves {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1991 - Robert Cohen was cello soloist in Benjamin Britten - Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op 68, with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1999 - Heinrich Schiff was cello soloist in Friedrich Cerha - Concerto for Cello {UK premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

7 August - On this #cello day

** 1983 - first performance of Wolfgang Rihm - Zweiter Doppelgesang for clarinet, cello and orchestra

(Hitzacker, Germany)

** 1990 - Heinrich Schiff was cello soloist in Dmitry Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No 1 in E flat major, with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

8 August - On this #cello day

** 1871 - birth of William Henry Squire (Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England) d.1963

cellist, composer and pedagogue

** 1924 - birth of Christopher Bunting (London) d.2005

cellist, composer and pedagogue

** 1979 - birth of Richard Harwood (Great Britain)

cellist, orchestra principal cello

9 August - On this #cello day

** 1875 - birth of Albert William Ketèlbey (Birmingham, England) d.1959

composer & multi-instrumentalist with special affection for the cello!

** 1950 - John Shinebourne was cello soloist in Robert Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1983 - first performance of Ernst Krenek - Cello Concerto No.2 

(Salzburg)

** 1967 - Pierre Fournier performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms

with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Pritchard

** 1968 - Vladimir Orloff performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms

with the Hallé Orchestra, conducted by John Barbirolli

** 1983 - first performance of Ernst Krenek - Cello Concerto No.2 

(Salzburg)

10 August - On this #cello day

** 1947 - first complete performance of Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras no.5 for soprano and eight cellos

(Paris)

** 1949 - Paul Tortelier was cello soloist in Richard Strauss - Don Quijote, Op 35, with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1998 - David Geringas was cello soloist in Sofia Gubaidulina - Und: Das Fest Ist In Vollem Gang {UK premiere}, with BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Tadaaki Otaka {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

11 August - On this #cello day

** 1835 - birth of Alessandro Pezze (Milan, Italy) d.1914

cellist, orchestra and opera principal cello & professor {based Italy-England}

** 1917 - birth of Samuel H. Mayes (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) d.1990

cellist, orchestra principal cello & professor

12 August - On this #cello day

** 1762 - birth of George IV, King of United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland d.1830

Royalty…and an amateur cellist!

** 1959 - Andre Navarra performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms

with theBBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Hollingsworth

** 1992 - Steven Isserlis was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto No 1 in C major, with Australian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

13 August - On this #cello day

** 1813 - birth of Carl (or Karl) Schlesinger (Germany) d.1871

cellist, orchestra principal cello, originally a violinist

** 1916 - first performance of Oswald - Sonata-Fantasia in Eb Major, Op.44

Alfredo Gomes/cello and Joaquim Antonio Barrozo Netto/piano (Rio de Janeiro, Salão do Jornal de Comércio)

** 1959 - Erling Blöndal Bengtsson was cello soloist in both Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto in D major, Hob. VIIb:2 and Richard Strauss - Don Quixote, Op 35, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

14 August - On this #cello day

** 1844 - Jacques Offenbach’s wedding took place on 14 August 1844; he was 25 years old and was working as a professional cellist, and the bride was 17 years old. There was an obstacle to his marriage to Hérminie - the difference in their professed religions. So he converted to Roman Catholicism, with the comtesse de Vaux acting as his sponsor. His father Isaac Offenbach's views on his son's conversion from Judaism are unknown!

** 1872 - birth of Zygmunt Butkiewicz (Lida Uezd, Poland) d.1935

cellist, chamber musician & pedagogue

** 1873 - birth of Adolph Schiffer (Prague) d.1950

cellist & pedagogue

** 1923 - Arnold Trowell was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto in D major, Hob. VIIb: 2 (arr. Arnold Trowell), with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1947 - Ambrose Gauntlett was cello soloist, along with Paul Beard/violin, Edward Selwyn/oboe and Richard Newton/bassoon in Joseph Haydn - Sinfonia Concertante in B flat Major, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1953 - birth of {Dr.} Darilyn Dee Manring (U.S.A.) d.2019

cellist, orchestral principal cello & teacher

** 1967 - Alan Dalziel was cello soloist, along with Trevor Williams and Jeffrey Wakefield/violins, in Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto for Two Violins and Cello in D minor, RV 565, Op 3.11 {Proms premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mario Rossi {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1972 - Siegfried Palm was cello soloist in Bernd Alois Zimmermann - Canto di speranza for cello and small orchestra {UK premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

15 August - On this #cello day

** 1778 - ‘debut’ concert of cellist Jean-Baptiste Breval (Paris)

** 1967 - Jacqueline Du Pre was cello soloist in Robert Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

16 August - On this #cello day

** 1899 - first performance of de Falla - Melodía for cello and piano

composer on piano (Salón Quirell, Cádiz, Spain) 

** 1904 - Jacques Renard was cello soloist in Camille Saint‐Saëns - Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1908 - birth of Orlando Cole (Philadelphia, USA) d.2010

cellist & pedagogue

** 1910 - Jacques Renard was cello soloist in Richard Strauss - Don Quixote, Op 35, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1918 - Thelma Yellin (née Bentwich) was cello soloist, along with Margery Bentwich/violin, in Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1938 - Raya Garbousova was cello soloist in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op 33, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1962 - Rohan de Saram was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto in D major, Hob. VIIb:2- {cadenzas by Pablo Casals & Gaspar Cassadó}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1978 - first performance of Noam Sheriff - Tre'y-Assar, for 12 Cellos

The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Jerusalem, Israel)

** 1983 - first performance of FeBland - Elegy for solo cello

soloist - David Johnstone (Southwark Cathedral, London)

17 August - On this #cello day

** 1748 - birth of Johann Jager (Schlitz, Germany)

cellist, oboist, court ‘chamber soloist’

** 1784 - Luigi Boccherini renews his contract with Infante Don Luis of Spain, with an additional 12,000 reals

(however, it was not to be a happy time for the composer; the Infante dies within as year, as also did Boccherini’s wife)

** 1942 - birth of Stephen Geber (Los Angeles, California, USA)

cellist, orchestra principal cello, chamber musician & professor

** 1948 - birth of Alexander Ivashkin (Russia) d.2014

cellist, writer, academic & conductor

** 1949 - Anthony Pini was cello soloist in Antonin Dvořák - Cello Concerto in B minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1959 - Amaryllis Fleming was cello soloist in Mátyás Seiber - Tre Pezzi {London premiere}, with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1993 - first performance of Edward Cowie - Cello Concerto 

(Brisbane, Australia)

18 August - On this #cello day

** 1928 - Beatrice Harrison was cello soloist in Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1948 - Pierre Fournier was cello soloist in Antonin Dvořák - Cello Concerto in B minor, with London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1966 - Natalie Shakhovskaya was cello soloist in Dmitry Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No 1 in E flat major, with Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1968 - Daniel Barenboim (piano) and Jacqueline du Pré (cello) finish recording the two Brahms - Cello Sonatas

(Abbey Road, London)

** 1969 - Release date (premiere screened in New York City, U.S.A.) of the film “Take the Money and Run”

directed by Woody Allen, starring Woody Allen, Janet Margolin and Louise Lasser 
Take the Money and Run is a 1969 American ‘mockumentary’ comedy film. the film chronicles the life of Virgil Starkwell (Woody Allen), an inept bank robber. He is a ‘notorious criminal mastermind’ who tries to learn how to play the cello. It is abominable. Excruciating - he even tosses the cello out the window! He joins a marching band but he can hardly keep up because he has to drag a chair along. A street gang puts the cello out of its misery! 

19 August - On this #cello day

** 1813 - birth of Karl Schlesinger (Germany) d.1871

cellist, orchestra & opera principal cello, chamber musician & professor {based Hungary-Austria}

** 1824 - birth of Georg Goltermann (Hannover, Germany) d.1898

cellist, composer and pedagogue

** 1889 - first performance of Jean Sibelius - Tempo di valse [Lulu Waltz] for cello and piano 

(Loviisa, Finland)

** 1922 - Charles Warwick-Evans was cello soloist in Max Bruch - Kol nidrei, Op 47, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1946 - Soloists Frederick Grinke/violin and Douglas Cameron/cello performed Brahms Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor at the London Proms in the Royal Albert Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Basil Cameron

** 1954 - Edmund Kurtz was cello soloist in Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

20 August - On this #cello day

** 1899 - a Casals private recital for Queen Victoria of Great Britain 

Osborne House, Isle of Wight

** 1915 - Charles Warwick-Evans was cello soloist, along with Arthur Beckwith/violin, in Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1948 - James Whitehead was cello soloist, along with Leonard Hirsch/violin and Harry Isaacs/piano in Beethoven - Concerto for violin, cello and piano in C major, 'Triple Concerto', with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1989 - birth of Patricia Cimpoiasu (Buzau, Romania)
cellist of Amadeus Quartet

21 August - On this #cello day

** 1698 - birth of Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri, del Gesù (Cremona, Italy) d.1744

expert luthier of string instruments {known as Guarneri del Gesù}

** 1895 - birth of Caillo Oblach (Padua, Italy) d.1954

cellist

** 1909 - Jacques Renard was cello soloist in Eugen Albert - Concerto for Cello in C Major, Op 20, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1936 - Florence Hooton was cello soloist, along with Frederick Grinke/violin and Dorothy Manley/piano (The Grinke Trio), in Paul Juon - Episodes Concertantes, Op 45, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1957 - Erling Blöndal Bengtsson was cello soloist in William Walton - Cello Concerto {Proms premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

22 August - On this #cello day

** 1911 - Jacques Renard was cello soloist in Eugen d'Albert - Cello Concerto in C major, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1923 - birth of Lawrence Leonard d.2001

conductor, cellist,composer, teacher and writer {based Canada-England}

** 1971 - birth of Richard {Crispin} Armitage (Huncote, England)

film/television/theatre/voice actor & adolescent cellist

** 1980 - first performance of Michael Tippet - Triple Concerto for Solo Violin, Viola, Cello and Orchestra

soloists - György Pauk, Nobuko Imai, Ralph Kirshbaum with London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Colin Davis (London)

23 August - On this #cello day

** 1852 - birth of Robert Hausmann (Rottleberode, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) d.1909

cellist

** 1867 - birth of Alexei August - On this #cello dayovich Davidov (Moscow) d.1940

cellist & composer, and also banker, industrialist and businessman - his uncle Karl Davidov was the famous cello virtuoso and composer!

** 1904 - Herbert Withers was cello soloist in Eugen Albert - Concerto for Cello in C major, Op 20 {Proms premiere}, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1907 - birth of Ludwig Hoelscher (Solingen, Germany) d. 1996

cellist

** 1925 - birth of Sulkhan Fyodorovich Tsintsadze (Gori, Transcaucasian SSR, Soviet Union) d.1991

composer & cellist

** 1932 - Lionel Tertis was VIOLA soloist in Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor (arr. Viola & orchestra by Lionel Tertis), with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {this was the Proms premiere of this arrangement, and probably almost the first time worldwide featuring viola!] {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1933 - Antoni Sala was cello soloist, along with Isolde Menges/violin, in Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1934 - Beatrice Harrison was cello soloist, along with her sister May Harrison, in Frederick Delius - Concerto for Violin and Cello, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1935 - Florence Hooton was cello soloist, along with Frederick Grinke/violin and Dorothy Manley/piano (The Grinke Trio), in Ludwig van Beethoven - Concerto for cello, cello and piano in C major, 'Triple Concerto', with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1957 - birth of Antonio Menesis (Recife, Brasil)
cellist

** 1989 - Truls Mork performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms (also in 1996)

with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Marris Jansons

24 August - On this #cello day

** 1846 - premiere of Suppé - Operetta ‘Poet and Peasant’ {the overture features an important orchestral principal cello line}

conducted by the composer (Theater an der Wien, Vienna)

** 1879 - birth of Gérard Hekking (Nancy, France) d. 1942  

cellist, orchestra principal cello

** 1955 - André Navarra was cello soloist in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1990 - first performance of John Tavener - Thrinos for cello

(Edinburgh)

** 1994 - Anner Bylsma was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto No 1 in C major, with Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock-violin/director {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1997 - Natalie Clein was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto No 1 in C major, with National Youth Chamber Orchestra of Great Britain conducted by Sir Roger Norrington {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

25 August - On this #cello day

** 1843 - first performance of Piatti - Capriccio Op.22 on the aria “I tuoi frequenti palpiti” for solo cello (the only existent capriccio per violoncello solo composed by Alfredo Piatti apart from the famous Dodici Capricci of op. 25)   

soloist - Alfredo Piatti 

** 1904 - Jacques Renard was cello soloist in Jules de Swert - Cello Concerto No. 1 in D minor, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1953 - Amaryllis Fleming performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms (also in 1972)

with theHallé Orchestra, conducted by John Barbirolli)

** 1954 - birth of Șerban Nichifor (Bucharest)

cellist, composer & music educator

** 1964 - Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich was cello soloist in Richard Strauss - Don Quixote, Op 35, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1966 - Christopher Bunting was cello soloist in Alan Rawsthorne - Cello Concerto {Proms premiere}, with Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1980 - Julian Lloyd Webber was cello soloist in Frederick Delius - Cello Concerto {Proms premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1987 - birth of Luka Šulić (Maribor, Slovenia)

cellist

** 1995 - Heinrich Schiff was cello soloist in Paul Hindemith - Cello Concerto {Proms premiere}, with Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

26 August - On this #cello day

** 1846 - premiere of Mendelssohn - Oratorio ‘Elijah’ (movement 26; the aria ‘It is Enough’ features an important orchestral principal cello line}

(Birmingham Town Hall - sung in English language version)

** 1899 - Paul Bazelaire was cello soloist in Camille Saint‐Saëns - Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor {UK premiere}, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1927 - birth of Edward (Russell) Bisha (Louisville, USA) d. 1991 

cellist, orchestra principal cello & teacher

** 1936  - Lauri Kennedy was cello soloist, along with Albert Sammons/violin, in Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1949 - Guilherminia Suggia, by 1949, was giving some of her last public performances, and although nearly 65 she was still in great form! This was part of the glowing review in the Glasgow Herald:
“The violoncello concert given by Guilhermina Suggia in the Freemasons’ Hall last night provided an evening of unmixed enjoyment. Technically she has no superior, and since she last appeared in this country her artistry has matured to a point from which one cannot imagine any further advancement. Suggia’s greatest asset as a performer is her capacity for identifying herself with everything she plays. To each work, of whatever period or mood, she brings an enthusiasm which charges her every phrase with vitality. Her tone is unequalled in its purity, and no demands of virtuosity are too great for her. This is perfection in ’cello playing and before such art criticism must be silent.”

** 1956 - Peter Racine Fricker completes his Cello Sonata, Op.28

(BBC anniversary commission, for Sir William Walton)

** 1969 - Zara Nelsova was cello soloist in Hugh Wood - Cello Concerto {World premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1970 - Joan Dickson performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms (also in 1973)

with theBBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Pritchard

** 1980 - first performance of Cesat Bresgen - Elegie, for 12 Cellos

The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Salzburg Festival, Salzburg, Austria)

** 1982 - first performance of Lutoslawski - Grave       

soloist Mischa Maisky with Polska Orkiestra Kameraina, conducted by Jerzy Maksmiuk (Festival Estival de Paris)

** 1994 - birth of Anastasia Kobekina (Yekaterinburg, Urals, Russia)

cellist, chamber musician

 27 August - On this #cello day

** 1802 - birth of August Theodore Müller (Brunswick, Germany) d.1875 

cellist, chamber musician

** 1860 - probable German premiere of Wilhelm Bernhardt Molique - Cello concerto 

(Baden-Baden, Germany)

** 1907 - Jean Schwiller was cello soloist in Édouard Lalo - Cello Concerto in D minor, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1929 - Charles Alfred Crabbe - cello, along with other members of the orchestra, were soloists in Joseph Haydn - Sinfonia Concertante in B flat Major, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1991 - first performance of Sofia Gubaidulina - Aus dem Stundenbuch for cello and orchestra, chorus and speaker

(Helsinki)

 28 August - On this #cello day

** 1761 - Luigi Boccherini, eighteen years old, formally petitions the town of Lucca for a position as cello player; however, they will not decide for two-and-a-half years!

** 1897 - William Henry Squire was cello soloist in William Henry Squire - Serenade, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert - ‘First Night of the Proms’, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1906 - WP Southworth was cello soloist in Édouard Lalo - Cello Concerto in D minor, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1920 - Charles Warwick-Evans was cello soloist in Léon Boëllmann - Variations symphoniques, Op 23, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1928 - Arnold Trowell was cello soloist in Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf - Concerto for Cello in D major (arr. Arnold Trowell, Proms premiere), with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1930 - Beatrice Harrison was cello soloist, along with her sister May Harrison, in Frederick Delius - Concerto for Violin and Cello, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1934 - Antonia Butler was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto No 2 in D major, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1969 - first performance of Hugh Wood - Cello Concerto 

(London)

** 1969 - Zara Nelsova performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms (also in 1971 and 1979)

with theBBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Charles Grove

** 1976 - first performance of Gerhard Wimberger - Plays, for 12 Celli soli, winds and percussion.

The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Salzburg, Austria)

** 1994 - first performance of Peter Sculthorpe - Chorale for eight cellos

(Vale of Glamorgan Festival, Cardiff, Wales)

29 August - On this #cello day

** 1866 - birth of Bruno Steindl (Zwickau, Germany) d.1949 

cellist, orchestra principal cello {based USA}

** 1901 - birth of Joseph Klonowski (Berlin) d.1967

cellist, orchestra principal cello,  bandmaster  & entomologist {based Poland}

** 1907 - J. Samehtini was cello soloist in Victor Herbert - Suite, Op 3 / Wilhelm Bernhard Molique - Concerto for Cello in D major, Op 45 No. 2 Andante / David Popper - 2 Concert Etudes, Op 55 No. 1 Spinnleid, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1917 - Charles Warwick-Evans was cello soloist in Antonin Dvořák - Cello Concerto in B minor, with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1908 - birth of Orestes ‘Macho’ López (Havana, Cuba) d.1991
cellist, orchestral musician, also played double-bass, flute and piano. Composer of popular instrumental music

** 1925 - Arnold Trowell was cello soloist in Luigi Boccherini - Cello Concerto in B flat major (Proms premiere of Gritzmacher version?), with The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1929 - Beatrice Harrison was cello soloist in Frederick Delius - Cello Concerto (Proms premiere), with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1931 - Lauri Kennedy was cello soloist in Léon Boëllmann - Variations Symphoniques, Op 23, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1948 - birth of Boris Pergamenschikow (Leningrad/St. Petersburg, Russia) d.2004

cellist

** 1949 - Zara Nelsova was cello soloist, along with Jean Pougnet/violin, in Johannes Brahms Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

30 August - On this #cello day

** 1783 - birth of Frederik Christian Funck (Denmark) d.1866

cellist, orchestra principal cello & composer

** 1870 - birth of Heinrich Warnke (Wesselburen, Germany) d.1938

cellist, orchestra principal cello and occasional composer  {based Germany & USA}

** 1922 - Beatrice Harrison performs the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Proms

with the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra, conducted by Henry Wood (Queen’s Hall, London) {she also performed the work again at the following year Proms, and again in 1928 & 1931, EVERY year from 1937 to 1942, and 1944)

** 1928 - Raya Garbousova was cello soloist in Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto in D major, Hob. VIIb: 2, with Henry Wood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1936 - birth of Penelope Lynex (Great Britain) d.2015
cellist, teacher, adjudicator, publications (cello cadenzas, Christmas carols etc.)

** 1964 - Rostropovich (with Richter at the piano) plays for the only time in his career the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas in one concert, at the Edinburgh Festival

** 1969 - a historic concert took place, luckily captured on film, and made into a film (by filmmaker Christopher Nupen), titled “The Trout”. It featured Daniel Baremboim, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Jacqueline du Pré [CELLO] and Zubin Mehta rehearsing and playing The Trout quintet at the new Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London. It has since been screened many times around the world

** 1980 - first performance of Rudolf Kelterborn - Scene, for 12 Cellos

The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Musikfestwochen Luzern, Switerland)

** 1983 - Roman Jabloński was cello soloist in Witold Lutosławski - Cello Concerto {Proms premiere}, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer {Prom Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London}

** 1999 - first performance of John McCabe - Cello Sonata

Alice Neary/cello and Gretel Dowdeswell/piano (Presteigne Festival, UK)

 31 August - On this #cello day

** 1900 - William Henry Squire was cello soloist in Wilhelm Bernhard Molique - Concerto for Cello in D major, Op 45 No. 2 Andante, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1904 - R. Purcell Jones was cello soloist in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1938 - Emanuel Feuermann was  cello soloist, along with Antonio Brosa/violin in Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, with BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood {Prom Concert, Queen’s Hall, London}

** 1956 - Christopher Bunting was cello soloist in Gerald Finzi - Cello Concerto in A minor {Proms premiere}, with the Halle Orchestra conducted by George Weldon

** 1964 - Sviatoslav Richter (piano) and Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) are credited as having completed recording on this day all 5 Beethoven Cello Sonatas on the Doremi label

182 entries for month of August - On this #cello day

{as at October 2020}

 ON THIS (CELLO) DAY

This is a feature on offer from Johnstone-Music which is virtually unique in the cello world. It is ongoing and suggestions are welcome - write to us with ideas!

Guidelines:

--   cellists can qualify from any period, but we do not include any event (birth, first performance etc.) after the year 1999, in order to maintain a certain historical perspective!
-   we include births but NOT deaths…..

--   we are especially interested in major professional influences - cellists who are/were orchestral principal cellists, artists with highly publicized and sought after soloist careers, well-established and respected chamber music artists, and cello professors in some of the major musical educational centres recognized around the world.

--   non-classical cellists can be included, if truly having a proven concert experience and fame in other genres.

From these guidelines we may not be able to use every suggestion, but thank you very much in advance for any ideas!!!

All entries are given in good faith and are thoroughly checked, but Johnstone-Music cannot accept responsibility for small inaccuracies, so please use them at your discretion …

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