Steven Isserlis

The acclaimed cellist Steven Isserlis was born into a musical family where playing music was an integral part of daily life. He has an unbridled enthusiasm for music and actively promotes music to younger audiences and is a advocate of playing traditional gut-stringed instruments. In a recent BBC radio interview he recounted an anecdote about his pianist grandfather who, on arrival in Vienna in 1922, sought out lodgings. He found a suitable flat but the landlady, who was 102, reportedly refused to take a musician as a tenant because her aunt had previously had bad experiences with a musician who was noisy; the tenant's name was Ludwig van Beethoven. Isserlis' talent for storytelling led him to write two children's books on the lives of famous composers: 'Why Beethoven Threw the Stew' and 'Why Handel Waggled His Wig'. His favoured instrument is the famous De Munck Stradivarius, a cello played by Ernest de Munck, and which is now owned by the Nippon Music Foundation who loan historic instruments to suitable recipients. Isserlis is a successful recording artist known for his wide repertoire and has recorded works by Debussey, Ravel, Schumman, Bach and Prokofiev. He also actively promotes classical festivals to celebrate all kinds of classical music.

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