A Farewell to my Cello

This afternoon I said goodbye to the cello I have been playing on for the past 10+ years. The cello was made by Luthier John Terry, an Englishman living in Florence Italy. The story was that it was commissioned by the Frost School of music for their cello professor, Ross Harbaugh. It is a bench copy of the instrument he plays on and was delivered some time in 2007 or 2008. Ultimately the school either didn’t want it or could not come up with the money to pay for it and it ended up in limbo for a short time. I never confirmed this story as true, but I have enjoyed spreading it around nonetheless.

In mid 2009, I learned of it and was told it had been sitting in a shop in New York City for a little over a year. A colleague of mine happened to be driving down to the city for the weekend to play a concert and picked it up for me. I played it over several months in various contexts at Eastman and with the Rochester Philharmonic, and then, over Christmas break 2009, I decided to buy it. I wasn’t totally sure about it then and those who have heard me talk about this cello know that it has been a relationship marked by some ambivalence. At times it has been a difficult cello to play and I have felt quite distant from it. During other times it has felt wholly like my own voice. I wanted to make sure I honored the departure of this old friend by reflecting on what this cello has meant to me and what it has done for me.

I played all of my auditions on this cello, the successful ones and the very unsuccessful ones. It went with me to Banff and through Yellowstone National Park where we were very nearly stuck at 11,000 ft during the first big snow of the season. It went to Wyoming with me and the varnish made weird squeaking noises against my sweatpants as we recorded “Cinderland.” It has hung out in the car while I popped into gas-stations across the country for coffee. It has vacationed with me. It has visited with me. It has been with me to all four corners of the country and in doing so it has been jostled about in the back of my hatchback for probably 50,000 miles or so. It has been a total rock through all of that.

I think about the various shows that I have played locally as a member of the Madison Symphony, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Willy Street Chamber Players. I think about the various pick-up chamber groups I played concerts with at the Chazen. I think about my recitals at UW and at Capitol Lakes. I think about all of the weddings I have played in not-so-ideal conditions. There are wedding videos of couples I don’t remember who can replay their special day and hear me on this cello. Then there are the more serious recordings this cello has been used for; I never did a full account of those, but needless to say, the two High Plains albums are the most important to me. There is a sonic record of our time together. This combination is something that will never exist again, and that’s a bit glorious, and perhaps a little too sad to ruminate about.

More Pictures of the Cello-to-be

This morning I received more pictures of my cello-to-be. The first photo features the piece of maple that will make up the neck and scroll (left). If you look closely, you can see the profile outlined on the wood. The picture to the right features the spruce top(left) and maple back (right) in their rough forms having just been glued at the center seam. It is inspiring and fun to imagine the cello buried within these rough slabs of wood

Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far. As of today you have helped me reach 51.5% of my fundraising goal!! Your support is so appreciated

The Commission

I have owned my current instrument, a copy of a 1733 Domenico Montagnana by Luthier John Terry, for a little over ten years. In that time it has served me very well. It has been my voice on the stage and in recordings as a member of High Plains, The Madison Symphony, and the Willy Street Chamber Players. It has gone with me to Banff, Wyoming, New York, Boston, Rochester, New Mexico, Iowa, Missouri, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and California among many other places. It has been seen on TV, and heard on the radio, in films and even apps. It has been played at hundreds of weddings, concerts and life events. Through all that it has been a reliable companion.

The instrument is the ultimate teacher, and after ten years of learning what this cello has had to teach me, I am ready to pass this instrument on to someone else and to have something better suited for this stage in my artistic life. In 2018 I won the assistant principal cello position with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Seeing my efforts pay off was a dream come true and it continues to be one of the things I am most proud of. As the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Symphony and the Madison Opera, I have responsibilities that involve a much more soloistic type of playing. This is a responsibility I embrace wholeheartedly and I need an instrument that is well-suited for this role.

I have decided to ask one of the most highly regarded living makers, Michele Ashley, to make me an instrument. I have known Michele since 2001 when I was studying with David Soyer at Boston University. Mr. Soyer owned and performed on one of her cellos for many years and she would occasionally drop by during my early morning lessons to pick it up for an adjustment.

Michele has focused on making cellos for the past thirty-five years and her instruments are in the hands of orchestral musicians, chamber musicians and soloists across the world. The instrument she will be making for me is based on a 1754 instrument by J.B. Guadagnini, the ‘Girardy.’ This cello is owned by Carter Brey, the principal cellist with the New York Philharmonic. I was able to play on one of Michele’s copies back in 2007 and it left a big impression on me. Michele’s website can be found here.

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Milan, 1754, the 'Gerardy'

The initial fee for the deposit has been raised through this fundraiser and now I’m asking for donations to help me cover the balance of the final purchase. The goal I have set for this is $12,000. The bulk of the cost will be covered by me, partially through the sale of my Terry cello.

I am privileged to have had a career that I love, and without a cello, I cannot be a cellist. It is my tool, my teacher and a daily part of my inspiration. Cellos are unfortunately a rather expensive tool and it can be hard to make a purchase like this without help. Donating to this cause will mean so much to me and each donation, no matter the size, will be remembered. Thank you for considering my request and for offering your help.

Sincerely,

Mark