A Focus on the Humanities Lecture and Performance with Edward Klorman with Matthew Zalkind

The six suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach—once dismissed as mere curiosities—are now revered as iconic works. They are performed worldwide by cellists of all ages, and they are moreover prominently used in pop culture such as film and television as well as in expressions of humanitarian advocacy. In this special Focus on the Humanities talk, Edward Klorman illustrates how and why Bach conceptualized this highly innovative music and tells the unlikely story of how the Cello Suites went from near obscurity to becoming the celebrated works that define the sound of the instrument. Matthew Zalkind performs selections from the Cello Suites, showing how Bach created rich harmonies and counterpoint using a single instrument. 

This special event and performance is presented in partnership with the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music, a community of musicians, scholars, and teachers. Since its beginning in 1895, the School of Music has lived out a commitment to a student-centered musical education.

Edward Klorman is Professor of Music at UW–Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. Active at the intersection of music analysis, historical musicology, and music performance, he is the author most recently of Bach: The Cello Suites. His previous book, Mozart’s Music of Friends: Social Interplay in the Chamber Works, explores metaphors of sociability and “conversation” in the performance of Mozart’s chamber music. It received major awards from ASCAP, the Mozart Society of America, and the Society for Music Theory. An accomplished violist specializing in chamber music, he has performed as guest artist with the Borromeo, Orion, and Ying Quartets and with the Lysander Trio.

Cellist Matthew Zalkind performs regularly as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician. He was awarded first prize in the Washington International Competition, as well as top prizes in the Beijing International Cello Competition and the Isang Yun Competition. Matt has performed concerti with the Utah Symphony, Moscow Chamber Players, Albany Symphony, Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, and other North American orchestras. He has given solo recitals at the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, Tongyeong Arts Center, Moscow Conservatory, and Beijing Concert Hall, among others. He performs regularly at many of the most recognized chamber music festivals, including Marlboro Music Festival and Musicians from Marlboro tours. With his wife Alice Yoo, Matt is the Co-Artistic Director of the Denver Chamber Music Festival, a destination for world class chamber music in Colorado. Matt serves on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music, and his students have established themselves on national and international concert stages. Matt received Bachelors and Masters degrees from Juilliard, and Doctorate from the University of Michigan.