This afternoon on The Classical Network, I’ll be interviewing the remarkable cellist Friedrich Kleinhapl.
Kleinhapl has been characterized by conductor Valery Gergiev as “one of the most promising talents of a new generation.” His performances have been described as “driven and unorthodox” (The Washington Post), undertaken with “abundant skills and unbridled passion” (The New York Times). His recordings of the Beethoven cello sonatas have been hailed as “among the most interesting in the catalogue” (The Strad).
As a young man, Kleinhapl homeopathically recovered from a brain tumor, radically changing the way he thinks and feels about music. His 1743 Guadagnini cello has been outfitted with custom titanium parts. Its angled endpin allows the instrument to slant more horizontally, allowing gravity to gently assist the effect of his modern bow. With his duo partner, Andreas Woyke – pianist and composer, and his own wife, Kleinhapl founded “Get a Hearing,” an association in support of children with hearing impairment, in 2015.
Kleinhapl and Woyke will appear on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York. On the program will be works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Schnittke, and Gulda.
I’ll chat with Kleinhapl by telephone, today at 5:00 p.m. EST. From 4 to 7, I’ll also salute Adolphe Sax and John Philip Sousa on their birthdays, among our featured offerings, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.