Alisa Weilerstein

Alisa Weilerstein is one of the most sought-after cellists of our time and performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician with the most renowned orchestras and chamber music formations.
In the 23/24 season Weilerstein returns to long-standing partner orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Berlin under Rafael Payare, the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Karina Canellakis, the LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra with a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.

With her new season-long project “FRAGMENTS”, Weilerstein aims to expand the possibilities of classical music by giving J. S. Bach’s six cello suites a multi-sensory treatment and expanding them with 27 new commissioned works. As a champion of contemporary music, she has premiered important new works by composers such as Pascal Dusapin, Osvaldo Golijov, Matthias Pintscher and Joan Tower.

Milestones in Weilerstein’s career include the BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Year for her recording of the Edward Elgar and Elliott Carter cello concertos, a performance at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama and concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among others. She was awarded MacArthur Fellow in 2011.

She lives with her husband, the Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and her children.