Lisa Bressler
cello
ARTIST DETAILS
ARTIST INFORMATION
Meet the Musician
Where were you born? Where do you call home now?
New Rochelle, NY | Elgin, IL
Where did you study? Who did you study under?
Peabody Conservatory | State University of New York | Purchase Stephen Kates | Harvey Shapiro | Frederick Zlotkin
When did you first discover your instrument? How old were you?
I was nine. In third grade, we had the opportunity to choose which instrument to start playing the following year, listing three choices. My choices were (in this order) violin, flute, and cello. They needed cellos, so they assigned it to me.
How did you come to be with the KSO? What is your best memory here?
I was moving from New York to Chicago and saw an opening. I knew and admired KSO Music Director Emeritus Raymond Harvey from working with him in the Springfield (MA) Symphony, so I took the audition. The rest is history.
Who is a musician/mentor who inspires you? What makes them special?
My mother, Vera Appleton, was half of a well-known duo piano team. Her artistry and influence was and still is an inspiration to me. Maestro Harold Farberman taught me to pay attention to every aspect of the music I am working on and what a conductor should communicate on the podium. His help in preparing me for auditions when I first moved to Illinois is the reason I won those auditions.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of the music world?
I am a huge fan of Australian Thoroghbred racing. I have been to Australia twice and witnessed history when the mighty mare Winx won her fourth Cox Plate. My last visit to Australia was in August of 2024. Besides attending stallion parades at four stud farms I spent time in Sydney, Melbourne, Port Macquarie, and the Hunter Valley. A memorable highlight of the trip was the time I spent at Uluru. That and King’s Canyon, both in the Northern Territory outback were fascinating and beautiful. I’m already saving up to go back!
