Jascha Silberstein
Jascha Silberstein (21 April 1934, Stettin, Germany, (today Szczecin, Poland) — 21 November 2008, Hot Springs, Arkansas) was a German-born American musician. He was for thirty years first cellist of the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Silberstein was born in Germany under the name of Hannes Bruno Willler, and raised in Stettin and later, Mannheim. To escape the 1943 bombing raids on Stettin, his family relocated to the maternal home in southern Germany, with his father, a physician, remaining in Stettin. Beginning studies on the piano at age 4, he made his first public appearance at 10 playing Bach's Concerto in D minor, then switched to the cello after hearing Gregor Piatigorsky play. He studied cello with Rudolf Hindemith (1900–74; the brother of Paul Hindemith) and the legendary Czech violinist Váša Příhoda. He adopted the name Jascha Silberstein in honor of his mentor. In 1962 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Texas. He was principal cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for thirty years from 1966 until his retirement. In the 1960s he appeared often at Butler University's Festival of Neglected Romantic Music, playing works that had not been heard in decades, several of which he recorded.
He recorded albums for London Records and the Musical Heritage Society. A number of his live performances have been issued in a series Jascha Silberstein: Live Performances (1-5).
Silberstein's obituary was listed in the November 23, 2008 edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It did not list a date or cause of his death at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Other accomplishments listed in the obituary:
Studied piano and cello in his native country of Germany with Rudolph Hindemith in Munich. He later became the principal cellist of the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Nueremberg Symphony. In 1962, he came to the US with his wife, Brigitta Erika Willer, to teach at the University of Texas El Paso, subsequently taking the first cellist position of the renowned Pittsburgh Symphony. Jascha moved on to Boston to play with the Boston Symphony and Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops. In 1966, he because his career at the Met during the inaugural year of the new house. Mr. Silberstein concertized around the world and was the featured soloist on concerts, television and recordings with Victor Borge Live from Lincoln Center with Plácido Domingo, European concerts with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, The River of Dreams Album with Billy Joel and the soundtrack of many movies including The Naked Gun movies, Lethal Weapon movies, and Kramer Vs. Kramer. Jascha Silberstein was also recorded by a vast number of recording companies, including Deutsche Grammophon, Musical Heritage, and Kurakichi Studio which has released five Jascha Silberstein Live Performance CDs. He discovered Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1966 with his second wife, Mezzo-Soprano, Diane Kesling and made it his home.
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