Pablo Ferrández cherishes his musical partnership with Mutter and Bronfman

Like most top soloists, Pablo Ferrández plays a mix of solo recitals and orchestral concertos. But the Spanish cellist also makes a point each season to leave significant room in his schedule for chamber music.

In December, for example, he joined violinist Janine Jansen, pianist Denis Kozhukhin and other musicians for two concerts at the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht in the Netherlands; he is set to perform Messiaen’s famed Quartet for the End of Time in Sion, Switzerland, in August.

Starting May 3, he launches an American tour with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Yefim Bronfman in La Jolla, California, that will take the three across the country to Carnegie Hall and finally to Chicago for a May 7 concert as part of the Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music series.

The appearance will mark Ferrández’s debut at Symphony Center and is just his second ever in Chicago. His first visit to the city came in August 2018, when he served as a soloist for a pair of concerts at the Grant Park Music Festival.    

“That was my first experience in Chicago — playing open air,” Ferrández said. “I have great memories of it. I have not played with the Chicago Symphony [Orchestra] yet, but I am looking forward to being in the hall and going back to Chicago.”

The May 7 program will feature what the cellist called two “monumental” works: Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (Archduke) (1811), and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A Minor, Op. 50 (1881-82).

“We were thinking of what to play, and these two felt like a great choice,“ he said. ”In particular, the Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite pieces, not only for trio but in general. It’s just unbelievable. There is so much to say, and I cannot wait to start the rehearsals with Mutter and Bronfman to see how they play the piece and how they feel about it.”

Born in Madrid into a family of musicians, including his younger sister, Sara, a noted violist, Ferrández, 34, began taking cello lessons when he was 3 at the direction of his parents. He joined the prestigious Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía when he was 13 to study with Natalia Shakhovskaya.

“My first memory was practicing with my mom,” he said of the cello. “It was just part of the normal day. I never questioned it. I always liked it. So it was not a decision I made. But it happened to the be greatest decision of my life.”

The turning point in his career came in 2015 at the famed International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Even though he did not win one of the top three places in the contest, he nonetheless got noticed and made significant connections. “Since then, my career really [has taken] off.”

“The Tchaikovsky [piano trio] is one of my favorite pieces, not only for trio but in general. It’s just unbelievable. There is so much to say.” — cellist Pablo Ferrández

Another big boost came three years ago when he began playing a 1689 Stradivarius cello, nicknamed the Archinto, which is on lifelong loan from a member of the Stretton Society. He was playing another Stradivarius when he had a chance to try out this instrument. “It was truly life-changing,” he said. “It was like the cello was made for me, like it had been waiting for me my whole life somehow. It’s my voice.”

One of the most significant figures in his career has been Mutter, the celebrated German soloist, whom he met more than 10 years ago. “She is a hero of mine,” Ferrández said. “I asked her if I could just audition for her, to see what she thinks of my playing. That’s how we connected.”

In 2018, she invited him to be part of the Mutter Virtuosi, a group of young, talented musicians whom she mentors and tours. The two have gone on to perform together regularly since, including a 2022 album that featured the two alongside the Czech Philharmonic in Brahms’ Double Concerto.

“Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would record a Brahms Double, which is such an iconic piece, with Anne-Sophie Mutter,“ Ferrández said. ”Even to this day, it’s incredible to me. I’m very proud of this recording, and I have it framed in my house.”

Ferrández called Mutter a huge inspiration, idol and mentor. “I’m very proud that I have gotten to know her not only onstage, of course, but also in a personal way,“ he said. ”She’s incredibly generous with her knowledge, and she is a big pillar in my musical life and also my life [in general].”

Mutter, Bronfman and Ferrández first performed together in December 2023 when they served as soloists for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Orchestra. “I think the three of us clicked,” Ferrández said, sparking the idea of performing trios together. “So we went for it.” 

Is it intimidating to perform with two older musicians who are among the most famous classical artists of our time? “For me, it motivates me,” Ferrández said. “I enjoy it so much. I learn from rehearsing with them and playing with them. But I think I also add enough for them for them to want to play with me, so it really means a lot. Every time I get to play with Mutter or someone as great as Bronfman, I’m very thankful. I’m very thankful for the career that I have.”

Unlike violinist Christian Tetzlaff who performs in a string quartet bearing his name, Ferrández prefers the piano trio format, because each voice is “very soloistic.” He played in a student quartet for five years and called it the most challenging thing he has done because of the intricate interactions among the four musicians.

He considers the piano trio an easier and more forgiving form. “You can play much more freely,” he said. “Your voice is really well defined. I just love it. I think it is my favorite group for chamber music.”