Leading a New Generation of Cellists

Walter Preucil, cello

This fall I had the opportunity to work with 12 fine cellists from around the country who had signed up for my class on Janos Starker’s An Organized Method of String Playing. As a former student of Starker, I have long used the method in my teaching.

The class met virtually every Sunday for 4 weeks. The 38 page book of exercises is really just the starting point to an entire philosophy of left hand technique. The goal of the curriculum was to clarify the sometimes ambiguous nature of many of the exercises, as well as to offer advice on developing practice routines and applying the concepts to fit personal needs.

It was rewarding to be able to offer ideas that were new to some and that to others were a welcome refresher.