Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Since making her professional and Carnegie Hall debuts in her early teens, she has been in high demand as a solo recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist with leading orchestras worldwide. She was recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011.
An authority on Bach’s music for unaccompanied cello, Weilerstein recently released a best-selling recording of his solo suites on the Pentatone label, streamed them in her innovative #36DaysOfBach project and deconstructed his G Major Prelude in a Vox.com video, viewed almost 1.5 million times.
Her discography also includes chart-topping albums, and she is the winner of BBC Music’s Recording of the Year honors. As the artistic partner of the Trondheim Soloists, she regularly tours and records with the Norwegian orchestra. She is an ardent champion of contemporary music and has premiered and championed important new works by composers including Pascal Dusapin, Osvaldo Golijov and Matthias Pintscher.
Other career milestones include a performance at the White House for President Barack and Michelle Obama.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 9 years old, Weilerstein is a staunch advocate for the T1D community. She lives San Diego with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their young daughter.
October 2020
