Distinguished British Cellist to Head Music For All Seasons Advisory Board

Music For All Seasons is pleased to announce that Steven Isserlis CBE, has been elected President of the Board of Advisors, a position founded and previously held by Dudley Moore.

Steven Isserlis is a remarkable cellist whose commitment to and obvious pleasure in music-making is an inspiration to audiences and fellow musicians. His artistic profile is characterized by a uniquely beautiful sound, a diverse choice of repertoire, a passion for finding neglected works, and a talent for devising performances in which he gathers friends and musical colleagues around him.

Isserlis is an active and devoted member of Music For All Seasons, and has worked closely with the organization since 1994. He participated in a major benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in which he performed Beethoven's "triple" concerto with violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Dudley Moore. In 2002, he held a cello master class for MFAS in New York City. As President of the Advisory Board, Isserlis heads a prestigious 24-member group of internationally renowned artists.

Mr. Isserlis' enthusiasm for music education is evident in the master classes and chamber music sessions he leads, as well as in the project he recently commissioned - Unbeaten Tracks, a collection of eight miniatures for the cello written especially for children and amateur cellists. He is the author of a new book, Why Beethoven Threw the Stew: And Lots More Stories from the Lives of Great Composers, published by Faber & Faber. Geared toward a young audience and fully illustrated, it offers a unique introduction to the world of classical music. The book reveals the cellist's six favorite composers through lively facts, historical anecdotes, and musical suggestions. For more information, visit his website at www.stevenisserlis.com.

I am very honoured by the invitation to become President of Music For All Seasons' Board of Advisors. It is a wonderful organization, brightening people's lives as it does with that most perfect of gifts, music. It is also a particular privilege for me to follow in the footsteps of our much-missed friend Dudley Moore; I'm sure that his spirit is smiling on our endeavours! -Steven Isserlis

On February 22, Isserlis will perform in Carnegie Hall as soloist with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Isserlis will play Kabalevsky Cello Concerto No. 2.

First "Respite For Caregivers" musical program given in Union County

Scotch Plains, NJ: On Thursday October 18, Music for all Seasons gave the first performance in its new Respite for Caregivers program at the home of Ethel and Harold Mayland in Union, New Jersey. The Ebbets Field Trio, composed of David Hattner, clarinet, Gill Dejean, bassoon, and Meighan Stoops, clarinet, performed for an hour, in a program bringing live music into the home of a couple who were celebrating the combined occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary and her 84th birthday.

The Respite for Caregivers program is a pilot program, funded by a grant from the Union County Division on Aging and administered through the Union County Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. Music For All Seasons, Inc. is presenting the programs. The program is directed toward those who provide full-time care to seniors and will be performed in individual private homes and in adult daycare centers around the county. The goal is to bring the therapeutic power of music as a respite to caregivers.
The Union County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs provides programs and services in the arts and history to the residents of Union County and administers grants through funding from various County and State sources. As a local resource it provides information and support to Union County cultural organizations.

Music For All Seasons, Inc. (MFAS) takes live music into residential institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, geriatric centers, prisons and schools for special children. MFAS individually tailors a series of programs to meet the needs of each facility, with first-rate professional musicians fostering the role of music as an active part of the healing process. Like their audiences, the scores of young musicians who perform for MFAS also benefit greatly from the interactive experience. MFAS is assisted by a Board of Advisors of twenty-four internationally recognized artists from around the world, chaired by Dudley Moore. Music For All Seasons is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary season and is active in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California.
Both Music For All Seasons and the Union County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs are funded in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of State.
For further information on this program, contact Susan Coen at the Union County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs at 908 558 2550.