Jascha Silberstein
Encyclopedia
Jascha Silberstein was a German
-born American
musician. He was for thirty years first cellist of the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
in New York City
.
Silberstein was born in Germany
and raised in Stettin and later, Mannheim
. To escape the 1943 bombing raids on Stettin, his family relocated to the maternal home in southern Germany, with his father, a physician, remaining in Stettin. Beginning studies on the piano at age 4, he made his first public appearance at 10 playing Bach
's Concerto in D minor, then switched to the cello
after hearing Gregor Piatigorsky
play. He studied cello with Rudolf Hindemith (1900–74; the brother of Paul Hindemith
) and the legendary Czech violinist Váša Příhoda
. He adopted the name Jascha Silberstein in honor of his mentor. In 1962 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Texas. He was principal cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
for thirty years from 1966 until his retirement. In the 1960s he appeared often at Butler University
's Festival of Neglected Romantic Music
, playing works that had not been heard in decades, several of which he recorded.
He recorded albums for London Records
and the Musical Heritage Society. A number of his live performances have been issued in a series Jascha Silberstein: Live Performances (1-5).
Silberstein's obituary was listed in the November 23, 2008 edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
. It did not list a date or cause of his death at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Other accomplishments listed in the obituary:
Studied piano and cello in his native country of Germany with Rudolph Hindemith in Munich. He later became the principal cellist of the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Nueremberg Symphony. In 1963, he came to the US to teach at the University of Texas El Paso, subsequently taking the first cellist position of the renowned Pittsburgh Symphony. Jascha moved on to Boston to play with the Boston Symphony and Arthur Fiedler's Boston Popos. In 1966, he because his career at the Met during the inaugural year of the new house. Mr. Silberstein concertized around the world and was the featured soloist on concerts, television and recordings with Victor Borge Live from Lincoln Center with Plácido Domingo, European concerts with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, The River of Dreams Album with Billy Joel and the soundtrack of many movies including The Naked Gun movies, Lethal Weapon movies, and Kramer Vs. Kramer. Jascha Siblerstein was also recorded by a vast number of recording companies, including Deutschegrammophon, Musical Heritage, and Kurakichi Studio which has released five Jascha Silberstein Live Performance CDs. He discovered Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1966 with his wife, Mezzo-Soprano, Diane Kesling and made it his home.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician. He was for thirty years first cellist of the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Silberstein was born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and raised in Stettin and later, Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. To escape the 1943 bombing raids on Stettin, his family relocated to the maternal home in southern Germany, with his father, a physician, remaining in Stettin. Beginning studies on the piano at age 4, he made his first public appearance at 10 playing Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's Concerto in D minor, then switched to the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
after hearing Gregor Piatigorsky
Gregor Piatigorsky
Gregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
play. He studied cello with Rudolf Hindemith (1900–74; the brother of Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
) and the legendary Czech violinist Váša Příhoda
Váša Příhoda
Váša Příhoda was a famous Czech violinist known for the perfection of his technique and the beauty of his tone. He was considered a Paganini specialist, and his recording of the Violin Concerto in A minor by Dvořák is still very highly praised. His artistry was controversial, and tended to...
. He adopted the name Jascha Silberstein in honor of his mentor. In 1962 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Texas. He was principal cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
for thirty years from 1966 until his retirement. In the 1960s he appeared often at Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
's Festival of Neglected Romantic Music
Festival of Neglected Romantic Music
The Festival of Neglected Romantic Music was founded by musicologist Frank Cooper at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1968.Cooper directed the Festival for the next eleven years, during which time many seminal works of the Romantic era that had not been heard since the 19th century...
, playing works that had not been heard in decades, several of which he recorded.
He recorded albums for London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
and the Musical Heritage Society. A number of his live performances have been issued in a series Jascha Silberstein: Live Performances (1-5).
Silberstein's obituary was listed in the November 23, 2008 edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell...
. It did not list a date or cause of his death at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Other accomplishments listed in the obituary:
Studied piano and cello in his native country of Germany with Rudolph Hindemith in Munich. He later became the principal cellist of the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Nueremberg Symphony. In 1963, he came to the US to teach at the University of Texas El Paso, subsequently taking the first cellist position of the renowned Pittsburgh Symphony. Jascha moved on to Boston to play with the Boston Symphony and Arthur Fiedler's Boston Popos. In 1966, he because his career at the Met during the inaugural year of the new house. Mr. Silberstein concertized around the world and was the featured soloist on concerts, television and recordings with Victor Borge Live from Lincoln Center with Plácido Domingo, European concerts with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, The River of Dreams Album with Billy Joel and the soundtrack of many movies including The Naked Gun movies, Lethal Weapon movies, and Kramer Vs. Kramer. Jascha Siblerstein was also recorded by a vast number of recording companies, including Deutschegrammophon, Musical Heritage, and Kurakichi Studio which has released five Jascha Silberstein Live Performance CDs. He discovered Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1966 with his wife, Mezzo-Soprano, Diane Kesling and made it his home.