Called one of the foremost cellists of our time, Alisa Weilerstein is known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment, and interpretive depth in her music. She visited SFCM in January for a week-long residency including a special performance of her Fragments concert series and a masterclass with students.

For Weilerstein, working and performing at SFCM has been “fantastic.” She added, “We are taking full advantage of the facilities. This has been a fabulous place to work. The staff has been wonderful, super supportive.”

Fragments is a groundbreaking, multi-year project for solo cello that weaves together the 36 movements of Bach’s solo cello suites with 27 newly commissioned works. The resulting collection is divided into six "fragments," each an hour long and blending five to six composers, to be released independently over several seasons. Among the artists contributing works are Joan Tower, Venezuelan composer Reinaldo Moya, Chinese-American composer Chen Yi, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw.

SFCM students got the opportunity to work with Weilerstein directly as students were assigned one of the commission pieces. “This is the first time that I have been able to experience these pieces as a listener, which was very moving. It’s another step toward enshrining these pieces into the repertoire.” Weilerstein said. “I really enjoyed working with the SFCM students as well, every one of them approached the new works thoughtfully and with total dedication.”

Weilerstein is an Opus 3 and Askonas Holt artist, part of the unique and growing alliance SFCM shares with the management companies. She is also a PENTATONE recording artist, the legendary label SFCM acquired in 2022. This growing alliance of leading arts organizations enables students, artists and the public to benefit from the combined resources of a leading conservatory, two lauded artist management companies and a record label. This collaboration is the latest in a string of partnerships, all a direct result of the Conservatory's unprecedented alliance.

As far as advice for current students? “One of the best pieces of advice I heard was ‘work hard, but also play hard,’” Weilerstein continued. “Dedication and hard work on your instrument is essential of course, but reading, going to concerts, going to museums, building relationships and making friends is crucial too.”

Learn more about studying at SFCM.