Emmanuel Feldman (born 1965)Karissa S. Wang, "Husband-wife duo's music is really deep," ''

The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. History The paper was founded on , as the weekly ''Quincy Patriot'' by John Adams Green and Edmund Butl ...

'', June 1, 1994. is an American classical

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

and teacher based in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He is the co-founder of the cello-

double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

duo Cello e Basso, and a member of the Aurea Ensemble.

Early life and education

Feldman was born and raised in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He studied at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

.James Reel, "Chatting With Emmanuel Feldman," ''

Fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets (including fanfare trumpets), French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introdu ...

'', vol. 30, no. 2, November/December 2006.

Career

As part of completing his studies in Paris, Feldman joined l'Orchestre des Prix, and was the first American ever in the orchestra. After his time in France, he moved to Boston, where he became the principal cellist in the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in 1990, at the age of 23. He left in 1993 to focus on his solo career. In 1992, Feldman and his wife Pascale Delache-Feldman formed Axiom Duo, with Feldman on cello and Delache-Feldman on double bass. As pioneers of the cello-double bass combination, they had to devise their own music by writing original pieces and transcribing music from other composers to fit their low-pitched instruments. Their self-titled debut was released in 2002.Andi Beckendorf, "Axiom Duo,"

International Society of Bassists The International Society of Bassists (ISB) is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization for anybody who enjoys the double bass. The society was founded in 1967 by Gary Karr Gary Michael Karr (born November 20, 1941, in Los Angeles) is an American c ...

, vol. 26, no. 1, 2002, pp. 67-68. The album features works originally written for cello and bass, along with their own transcriptions of pieces by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, Bartók and

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

. They later renamed the duo Cello e Basso. In 2006, Feldman released ''Rider on the Plains'', named after the subtitle of the first movement of

Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassic ...

's 1950 ''Cello Concerto'', which is featured on the album.

Anthony Tommasini Anthony Carl Tommasini (born April 14, 1948) is an American music critic and author who specializes in classical music. Described as "a discerning critic, whose taste, knowledge and judgment have made him a must-read", Tommasini was the chief c ...

"Rustic Streams Hiding Complicated Traditions,"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', January 14, 2007. Feldman first heard of the piece in the late 1990s after speaking with

, Thomson's biographer. Feldman found it to be "an undiscovered gem of American cello repertoire." The album also includes two works by Charles Fussell, which Feldman commissioned in 2002 to record alongside Thomson's work. On the album, Feldman is joined by the New England String Ensemble and Nashville Chamber Orchestra. ''Rider on the Plains'' was nominated for a 2008

Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Classical The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

category for producer

Blanton Alspaugh Blanton Alspaugh (born 1959) is an American record producer, specialised in classical recordings. He has so far (the 64th Grammy Awards season) won 11 Grammy Awards. Alspaugh earned a bachelor's of science degree in music education from Tennesse ...

. Feldman's second album, ''Our American Roots'', was released in 2013. It features

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

's '' Three Preludes'', arranged for cello and piano by Feldman, as well as renditions of music by

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Compos ...

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor (music), conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the mid-20th century. Principally influenced ...

and George Walker. As a composer, Feldman's original compositions include the three-movement "Enigma No. 1", written for cello and bass, and "Synergy", written for string orchestra. Feldman has performed as the principal cellist in the Boston Philharmonic and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra; as a soloist with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Music, Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble, New England String Ensemble, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra,Richard Pachece, "NBSO opens with 'intense, provocative' performance," '' The Standard-Times'', October 22, 1996. and the

Boston Modern Orchestra Project The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is a professional orchestra founded in 1996 by artistic director Gil Rose in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. In its first twelve seasons, the BMOP was able to perform over 80 concerts of conte ...

; and alongside

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and conductor (music), conductor. His Vocal pedagogy, vocal techniques include singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in Pitch (music), pitch—fo ...

Borromeo String Quartet The Borromeo String Quartet is an American string quartet, in residence at the New England Conservatory since 1992. They have performed throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, at numerous festivals and in many distinguished chamber m ...

,Emmanuel Feldman: Cello
Killington Music Festival. Accessed January 3, 2018. David Deveau,

Marcus Thompson Marcus Thompson (born 1946) is a violist and viola d'amore player known for his work as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and educator. Thompson is a founding member and is currently artistic director of the B ...

and

Gilbert Kalish Gilbert Kalish (born July 2, 1935) is an American pianist. He was born in New York and studied with Leonard Shure, Julius Hereford and Isabelle Vengerova. He was a founding member of the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a pioneering new music gr ...

. He is a faculty member at Boston's

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

, where he was the cello teacher of Zlatomir Fung, and at the Department of Music at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, and has also taught cello at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and the

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a Public university, public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly "Southeas ...

Personal life

Feldman and his wife, Pascale Delache-Feldman, a double bassist, are based in Boston, Massachusetts.Richard Buell
"Citizen Feld Celebrates the Sounds of the City,"
''Boston Globe'', May 26, 2001. They met while studying at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Discography

Albums

Appears on

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feldman, Emmanuel 1965 births Living people American classical cellists Curtis Institute of Music alumni Conservatoire de Paris alumni Tufts University faculty New England Conservatory faculty University of Massachusetts Dartmouth faculty Musicians from Boston Musicians from New York City Classical musicians from New York (state) Classical musicians from Massachusetts