Revered cellist, teacher and Delos artist Aldo Parisot passed away last Saturday at age 100, only months after retiring from the teaching position he had held since 1958 at the Yale School of Music. One of the world’s supreme masters of his instrument, he gradually subordinated his brilliant solo career to that of a beloved pedagogue, who claimed that “The secret to staying young is to surround yourself with the younger generation.” Legendary fellow cellist Janos Starker (also a Delos artist) described him as “the best cello teacher I have met in my life.”
In 1983, Aldo founded The Yale Cellos, an ensemble numbering around 20 players drawn from among his students. Under his direction, the group soon became known for its collective virtuosity, dynamic sensitivity and interpretive power. Its glowing reputation was sealed in 1986, with the Grammy-nominated release on Delos of Bach Bachianas (DE 3041), also featuring the great American soprano Arleen Auger. This was followed in 1987 by The Sound of Cellos (DE 3042). A third Delos CD, Masters and Winners (DE 1018)—featuring Parisot and Starker in solo roles—was released in 1988.
Delos General Director (and distinguished pianist) Carol Rosenberger fondly recalls being “in the booth for those wonderful sessions at Yale in the spring of 1986,” during which most of the first two albums’ repertoire was recorded.
So here’s to the cherished memory of Aldo Parisot, whose immortal art has touched the hearts of countless music lovers everywhere, and remains one of the jewels in Delos’s musical crown.
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