Steven Isserlis, cello / Connie Shih, piano

Steven Isserlis CBE is a distinguished British cellist with a global reputation as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author, and broadcaster. He performs with world-class orchestras, from period to modern ensembles, and has given numerous world premieres, including works by Sir John Tavener, Thomas Adès, György Kurtág, and many others. 

Isserlis’ extensive discography, which has earned numerous awards, includes the complete J.S. Bach Cello Suites (Gramophone Instrumental Album of the Year), Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano, and the Brahms Double Concerto with Joshua Bell. His Grammy-nominated recordings include Haydn and Martinů. 

A passionate author, Isserlis’ latest book is a critically acclaimed companion to the Bach Cello Suites. His children’s books on music are among the most popular in the genre, translated into many languages. He has also authored a commentary on Schumann’s Advice for Young Musicians. As a broadcaster, Isserlis has presented in-depth BBC Radio documentaries on Robert Schumann and Harpo Marx. 

As a musical curator, Isserlis has programmed innovative series for prestigious venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall and New York’s 92nd Street Y. He has also directed orchestras from the cello, including the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester in 2019 during Radu Lupu’s final public performance. 

Isserlis was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 for his contributions to music and has received international honors, including the Piatigorsky Prize and the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award. He has been Artistic Director of the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, since 1997. 

He plays the 1726 ‘Marquis de Corberon’ Stradivarius, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music. 

To learn more about Steven Isserlis, please visit his website.

The Canadian pianist, Connie Shih, is repeatedly considered to be one of Canada’s most outstanding artists. In 1993 she was awarded the Sylva Gelber Award for most outstanding classical artist under age 30. At the age of nine, she made her orchestral debut with Mendelssohn’s first Piano Concerto with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 12, she was the youngest ever protégé of Gyorgy Sebok, and then continued her studies at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia with Claude Frank, himself a protégé of Arthur Schnabel. Later studies were undertaken with Fou Tsong in Europe.

As soloist, she has appeared extensively with orchestras throughout Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe. In a solo recital setting, she has made countless appearances in Canada, the U.S., Iceland, England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan and China. Connie has given chamber music performances with many world-renowned musicians. To critical acclaim, she appears regularly in recital with cellist Steven Isserlis. Including chamber music appearances at the Wigmore and Carnegie Halls, she performs at the prestigious Bath Music Festival, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Weill Hall (N.Y.), and at the Kronberg Festival. Her collaborations have included Maxim Vengerov, Tabea Zimmerman, and Isabelle Faust.

In 2019/20 Connie toured North America and Europe with Steven Isserlis, and toured Asia with Joshua Bell. In addition she appears at concert venues across Germany with the cellist Manuel Fischer-Dieskau with whom she recorded the first-ever CD of the Sonatas for piano and cello by Carl Reinecke and the complete Beethoven sonatas. Her CD with Steven Isserlis on the BIS label was recently released.

Connie’s performances are frequently broadcast via television and radio on CBC (Canada), BBC (U.K.), SWR, NDR, and WDR (Germany) as well as on other various television and radio stations in North America and Europe.

She is on faculty at the Casalmaggiore Festival in Italy.

To learn more about Connie Shih, visit her website.