Classical musician Zuill Bailey finds himself on the road about 230 days a year, and that does not count his professorship at the University of Texas El at Paso.
Widely considered one of the premiere cellists in the world, he joked, “With all the travel, my cello case is shot.”
But not the magnificent 1693 Matteo Gofriller instrument inside — the very one audiences will see and hear Sunday at Strathmore when he performs Antonin Dvorak’s beloved Cello Concerto with the National Philharmonic under the baton of music director and conductor Piotr Gajewski.
“[This cello] sounds like an old soul that knows much more than all of us,” Bailey said, as though he was talking about a great-uncle. “I’ve had this cello for over a decade and … I have been showcasing it to the world as opposed to having it sit in a museum behind a glass case. It was built to be heard, not just seen.”
Bailey, a native of Woodbridge, is excited to be on his old stomping ground performing, as he said, “Dvorak’s flagship piece with such a fine orchestra and such a fine conductor.”
The majority of Bailey’s year is spent performing concertos and recitals with the symphony orchestras of Louisville, Ky., Milwaukee, San Francisco and Toronto, to name a few. Additionally, he has found time to record “The Bach Cello Suites” on the Telarc International label. The release soared to the top of the Classical Billboard Charts, prompting classical music critic Jason Victor Serinus to applaud the album noting, “The sound is rich, like dark chocolate … his voice is distinctive — strong and direct. Bailey reaches from the soul of his instrument to our own.”
Moreover, the Cello Concerto brings out the musician’s rare combination of artistry, technical mastery and the charming personality that has cemented his reputation and place as one of the most sought-after cellists today.
“The Dvorak piece is a crowning achievement for cello,” Bailey said, with the humility of a first-year music student. “I grew up hearing Rostropovich perform it year after year while he was in his tenure with the National Symphony as conductor and, of course, the world’s greatest cellist. He made such an incredible impression on me; on how music can transform us and strive for something greater than the norm.”
Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” will also be performed.
