VOl.80 FNY(16) Christine Walevska, Cellist

Fabulous New Yorkers:　16
Christine Walevska, Cellist

Right now, the most wonderful cello music – Bolognini’s “Echo Serenade” –
is flowing through my room.
My heart is moved by the sound of the sobbing cello.
The person playing this music is Christine Walevska, called the
“Queen of the Cello” by legions of international fans.

I have this music because I went to her concert and could not stop my tears,
due to her strong, sensitive performance. It affected me so much that
afterwards, I wanted desperately to interview her.
She accepted with a smile as big and warm as the sun.
Although she was pleasant and gracious, I knew nothing about her or the cello…
only that she was a great artist that others should know more about.

Christine was born to a mother who was a violinist and a father who could
play all string instruments and run instruments store.
She grew up surrounded by music in utero and throughout childhood.
“My mother was a violinist and father played the cello. I was somehow
attracted to the sound of the cello and asked my father to teach me
how to play”, Christine explained. She started to play at 8 ½ , when her
father brought home an eighth-size Bernadel cello inscribed “made for the
little Countess Marie” in French, and signed “Bernadel 1832”.

She took lessons starting at 9 from Ennio Bolognini, the Argentine
composer and virtuoso cellist called “The Greatest Cellist”
“He was a great musician. I played in front of him and he loved my
performance very much. He told my parents, ‘She is already a great cellist’,”
Christine recounted. Bolognini took care of Christine like a daughter, as
a mentor and passed his music on to her. The passionate, heartrending cello
masterpiece that is streaming through my room, is one of his works that
she has the exclusive rights to play. He wanted only Christine to play his
compositions during his lifetime and beyond.

Christine’s debut concert in the United States as a teenager, won her a
scholarship at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire to study with
Maurice Marechal, where she was the first American to win first prize
in cello and chamber music.

She has appeared as a great musician in the book” Women of 20th Century”
with Indira Gandhi and ballerina Margot Fonteyn etc. and
“ The Way They Play”.

This May she did a concert series in Japan after a 36 year absence!

To celebrate the Japan tour, her CD “The Artistry of Christine Walevska”
was released. She signed her name on the CD for me.

She married an Argentine, raised her daughter, and for a while cut
down on her performances abroad and in the United States.
However, Japanese big fans organized a volunteer group which arranged
her Japanese tour. She kept the poster from her first Japanese
concert 36 years ago.

Her 10 performances in Japan were so successful that she even went to Kyoto.
She seems to have enjoyed being in Japan after her long absence.

She has lived with her husband and daughter in a nice apartment overlooking
Central Park for 15 years.

The statuesque, russet-haired cellist keeps her age a secret. Although Christine
made her debut as a teenager and has played the cello for decades,
she still practices every day.
“When I was young, my body could remember how to play even if I did not
practice for a long time. But over the years, I need to practice every day.
It is not good without lessons”, Christine said casually.

I take off my hat to Christine for her professionalism. Because of her tireless
work and determined will, her great performances bring tears and emotion.
To learn more about her incredible background, training and body of work,
please go to: www.christinewalevska.com