Treasured Tunes featuring Emanuel Gruber
Q&A with Emanuel Gruber
Professor Emanuel Gruber teaches cello and chamber music at East Carolina University. He received his BA from the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and his MA from Tel Aviv University, Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Jerusalem. Gruber was principal cellist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and co-principal of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He was a founding member of the Tel Aviv Chamber Music Society, member of the Sequoia Quartet, Camerata Trio, and Tel Aviv Piano Quartet, and leader of the Israel Cello Ensemble. He is the winner of the Pablo Casals prize by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Concert Artists’ Guild in New York. Before coming to ECU, he taught at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and was visiting professor at Indiana University’s School of Music in Bloomington. He teaches periodically at Barcelona School of Music, the International Cello Seminar in Israel, the Canetti International summer course, Summit Music Festival in New York, International Academy of Music in Italy, and Burgos International Music Festival in Spain.
How did you become interested in music?
I was born into music. My father was a professional musician, so I’ve lived with classical music since I was born. Actually, before then because my father used to take my mother to concerts even before I was born.
What do you enjoy about teaching music?
It’s very beautiful to take students at a certain level, give them good advice, follow up with good instruction, and watch them become better at what they do. As a professor, I am able to see the progress my students make over the four years they study here, and that gives me a lot of satisfaction.
If we were to ride with you in your car, what music would we hear?
Only classical music. I have a hard time seeing how people listen to other kinds of music.
What musicians inspire you?
Regarding some of the teachers I studied, they were ideal musicians for me like Gregor Piatigorsky and Janos Starker, which I recognize as great interpreters and great cellists themselves. There are also others I enjoy listening to from the old generation like Pablo Casals, Emanuel Ferermann, and Pierre Fournier. There is a long list.
Music Selection
- Beethoven, Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1: Adagio sostenuto
From the CD Beethoven Complete Music for Cello & Piano
Performers:
Emanuel Gruber, Cello
Arnon Erez, Piano
Eroica Label - Mendelssohn, Cello Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 58: II. Allegretto scherzando
From the CD Mendelssohn: Complete Music for Cello and Piano
Performers:
Emanuel Gruber, Cello
Arnon Erez, Piano
Delos Label - Stutschewsky, Hassidic Suite 4(d) 4th movement
From In Hassidic Mood-Compositions for Cello and Piano
Performers:
Emanuel Gruber, Cello
Michael Boguslavsky, Piano
Beth Hatefutsoth Records
This has been a production of East Carolina University. To hear more, please visit the Treasured Tunes index.