Pieter Wispelwey, cello; with Lois Shapiro, piano
Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mixon Hall, Cleveland Institute of Music

“An outstanding cellist and a really wonderful musician.” – Gramophone

In his Cleveland debut, the Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey presents a bold program of Beethoven’s complete sonatas and variations. Wispelwey, the first cellist ever to receive the Netherlands Music Prize, awarded to that country’s most promising young musician, is among the first of a generation of performers who are equally at ease on the modern or the period cello. Phenomenal technical mastery and regular appearances in the world’s great concert halls have cemented his reputation as one of the most charismatic performers of our time, winning the hearts of critics and audience members alike with repertoire ranging from J.S. Bach to Elliott Carter. A recital tour de force. $41, CMA members $39.