Two weeks from today Delos will release Mendelssohn: Complete Music for Cello and Piano in CD format (Digital Downloads already available). The album features the well-known and critically acclaimed duo of Emanuel Gruber and Arnon Erez. In preparation for this release, we’d like to tell you a little about these two performers. Today we start by introducing you to premier cellist Emanuel Gruber.
Emanuel Gruber |
Emanuel Gruber is celebrated as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. He has brought his “authority, sensitivity to musical values, wide dynamic range, and great mastery of his instrument” (Music Journal, New York) to collaborations with artists such as Neville Marriner, Rudolph Barshai, Shelomo Mintz, Pinchas Zukerman, Miriam Fried, Philippe Entremont, Jean Bernard Pommier, Tamas Vasary, and Janos Starker.
“One of our great artists“ the Jerusalem Post wrote, citing “his extraordinary capacity for projecting the deepest meaning of the music.” Awarded the Pablo Casals prize by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, he also won the Concert Artists’ Guild Auditions in New York City early in his career.
He has been principal cellist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and co-principal of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He was a member of the Sequoia Quartet, Camerata Trio, Tel Aviv Piano Quartet, and leader of the Israel Cello Ensemble. He is a founding member of the Tel Aviv Chamber Music Society, and currently teaches cello and chamber music at East Carolina University.
Emanuel Gruber has performed in many major festivals including the Salzburg, Bath, San Sebastian, Northwestern (Portland), Eilat (Israel), Musike (France), Musical Spring (St. Petersburg), and Rostropovich Cello Festival (Riga). He was a jury member for the Second Davidoff International Cello Competition in Kuldiga, Latvia, and for the Salou Music Competition in Spain.
Mr. Gruber has been visiting professor at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, and has taught at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. He teaches periodically at Barcelona School of Music, the International Cello Seminar in Israel, the Canetti International summer course, the Summit Music Festival in New York, the International Academy of Music in Italy and the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain.
He began his cello studies with the distinguished Romanian pedagogue Paul Ochialbi, and graduated from the Academy of Music in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv. Under the auspices of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. he completed his musical training with Gregor Piatigorsky and Janos Starker. He has recorded for CDI, Israel (“The Heart of Cello”); for EMS, Belgium(“Festival of the 20th Century”); for Beit Hatefutsot, Israel (In Hassidic Style); for Erasmus, Holland (Clarinet Trios with Camerata Trio); and for Eroica, USA (Beethoven works for Cello and Piano, complete).
Mr. Gruber plays a David Tecchler Cello made in Rome in 1706.
Emanuel Gruber, cello
Arnon Erez, piano
DE 3415
Variations Concertantes, Op. 17
Sonata No.1 in B-flat Major, Op. 45
Song Without Words, Op. 109
Assai Tranquillo Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58
Emanuel Gruber and Arnon Erez inspired a rave from Gramophone for their recording of Beethoven works for cello and piano (Eroica, 2006). “Like-minded musicians give us a Beethoven set that shines” was the headline.
Now the acclaimed Duo offers a captivating new Mendelssohn set that shines and sings and reminds us that there is fresh joy and beauty to be found in this music.