FRAGMENTS: Alisa Weilerstein, cello at Terrace Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Lauded for her deep musical insight, technical brilliance, and creative authority, cellist Alisa Weilerstein premieres her innovative, theatrical new project Fragments, co-commissioned by Washington Performing Arts. Weilerstein conceived of and has collaborated with 27 composers representing nine nationalities and varied musical styles to create a unique arc that intersperses movements of Bach cello suites with 10-minute fragments of newly commissioned works. Audiences will not know the order of the program until its conclusion, adding to the immersive experience. The hour-long program at the Terrace Theater features a mix of Bach and these elegant new fragments, including a D.C.- and world-premiere performance. The New York Times writes, “This project is intended to reimagine what a cello recital can be, to challenge some of the conventions that Weilerstein thinks might inhibit a listener’s immediate response to the music, and to add layers of theatricality to the arguably staid traditions of the concert hall, in an acceptance that a musician is, after all, performing on a stage.”