Cellopaloosa III
featuring Guest Artist Zuill Bailey
April 2, 2011
Biographical information
Zuill Bailey is considered one of the pre-eminent cellists of his generation. His rare combination of compelling artistry, technical finesse, and engaging personality has secured his place as one of the most sought-after cellists today.
A consummate concerto soloist, Bailey has appeared with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, Dallas, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Toronto and Utah, among other leading orchestras around the world. He has collaborated with such conductors as Itzhak Perlman, Alan Gilbert, Andrew Litton, James DePriest, and Stanislav Skrowacezewski, and has performed with musical luminaries Leon Fleisher, Jaime Laredo, the Juilliard String Quartet, Lynn Harrell and Janos Starker.
This season Baily plays recitals at Ithaca College (with duo-partner pianist Awadagin Pratt) and with pianist Orion Weiss for Washington Performing Arts Society (D.C.) and the Artist Series at Florida State University, et al. He joins regional orchestras throughout the U.S., including the Asheville Symphony, the Reno Philharmonic, and the Wheeling Symphony. International dates include performances of the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Israel Philharmonic and the Perlman/Schmidt/Bailey trio (pianist Navah Perlman and violinist Giora Schmidt), the Deià International Music Festival in Spain, and at with the Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico. This season also sees the release of Bailey’s most recent disc for Telarc International: The Complete Bach Cello Suites. Winning critical and popular acclaim, the disc debuted on the Classical Billboard chart at #2. Bailey played a coast-to-coast tour to celebrate the disc’s release, including dates at Yoshi’s in San Francisco and Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.
In the summer of 2009, Bailey performed the Dvorak Cello Concerto with Danail Rachev and the Nashville Symphony, played the complete Bach Cello Suites at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Beethoven cello sonatas at Ravinia and in New York City with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, celebrating the release of their two-disc recording of Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano on Telarc, a critical and popular success.
Mr. Bailey has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, the 92nd Street Y, and Carnegie Hall, where he made his debut performing the U.S. premiere of Miklos Theodorakis' Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra.
His international appearances include celebrated performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in its 50th anniversary tour of Russia, as well as concerts in Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Israel, Hong Kong, Jordan, Mexico, Peru, Spain and the United Kingdom. Festival appearances include the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Chautauqua, Bravo! Vail Valley, Maverick Concert Series and the Music Academy of the West. He was the featured soloist performing the Elgar Cello Concerto at the Bard Festival in the World Premiere of the Doug Varrone Dance Company’s performance of “Victorious.”
Other recordings include “Russian Masterpieces” on Telarc International, featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich performed with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra; a debut recital disc for Delos; Cello Quintets of Boccherini and Schubert with Janos Starker; Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concertos No. 1 and 2 "Live"; and the Korngold Cello Concerto with Kaspar Richter and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz for ASV.
Network television appearances include a recurring role on the HBO series “Oz,” in addition to features on the NBC series” Homicide” A&E, NHK TV in Japan, a live broadcast of the Beethoven Triple Concerto from Mexico City, and the televised production of the Cuban premiere of Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto No. 2 with the National Orchestra of Cuba. He is heard on NPR's "Performance Today," "Saint Paul Sunday," BBC's "In Tune," XM Radio's "Live from Studio II," Sirius Satellite Radio, the KDFC Concert Series, Minnesota Public Radio and RTHK Radio Hong Kong.
Zuill Bailey performs on a 1693 Matteo Gofriller Cello, formerly owned by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet. In addition to his extensive touring engagements, Bailey is the Artistic Director of El Paso Pro Musica, Artistic Director designate of the Sitka Summer Music Festival and Series, (Alaska) and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas at El Paso.
