Cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Wynona Wang perform a moving piece titled Gymnopédie I by Kevin Day in their debut for the Lincoln Center’s Sidewalk Sessions.
Elliott plays against the backdrop of a busy New York City scene, on his 1741 Gagliano cello which he affectionately nicknamed ‘Ginger’.
One may associate Gymnopedies with the works of Erik Satie. On Day’s composition, Elliott says: ’I’ve always loved French music for its dreamy, otherworldly quality, and Kevin Day brings that atmosphere into new emotional territory.
’His writing in Gymnopédie I adds a quiet depth and soulfulness that feels incredibly natural on the cello. It’s a piece that draws you in instantly as both a listener and a performer.’
Elliott will feature at the Lincoln Center as a featured soloist in the Avery Fisher Legacy Concert on 25 and 26 July, where he will perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center.
The Rococo Variations was the first concerto Elliott ever played in New York. ’I was a freshman at Juilliard when I was invited to play it with the New York Philharmonic at their annual Young People’s Concert. Since then, this piece has always felt like a milestone work for me. It was also the first Romantic concerto I learnt as a child.
’Although Tchaikovsky draws on classical style throughout the piece, even the shortest phrases are rich with romantic expression. It’s a perfect fit for ”Ginger,” my 1741 Gagliano cello, whose sweet registers resonate so well within the classical textures while also coaxing out the soulful warmth that we all know and love the cello for!’
Find out more about the Avery Fisher Legacy Concert on 25 and 26 July here.
Read: The road to Wigmore: cellist Sterling Elliott’s practice diary
Read: A Brothers Amati viola to a cello called ’Ginger’: more instruments from Music@Menlo
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