Mischa Maisky, the only cellist in the world to have studied with both Mstislav Rostropovich and Gregor Piatigorsky, will perform in Vietnam on the evening of 2 November, Tuổi Trẻ reported. He is coming at the invitation of cellist Đinh Hoài Xuân to appear in Cello Fundamento 13 at the Ho Guom Theatre (Nhà hát Hồ Gươm) in Hanoi, the 13th season of the classical concert series she founded and leads.
Joining Maisky on stage will be Đinh Hoài Xuân, his daughter, pianist Lily Maisky, and violinist Nicolas Dautricourt.
Why Maisky said yes
Bringing an artist of Maisky's stature is not easy, Đinh Hoài Xuân said: his fees are extremely high, and some organisers ready to pay sums running into billions of dong have still not won his agreement. She said she could not have afforded him without the special favour he showed to her and to Vietnam.
The two met when she was training in Romania, and she told him then that she would one day invite him to Vietnam. They kept in touch; she asked him twice, but it was not until 2025 that he found time in his schedule. She is also the first Asian artist to play a cello duet with him.
Đinh Hoài Xuân said Vietnam's classical music scene is very lively at the moment, which is why she wants to bring the world's top names, even legends, to the country, starting with Maisky. Tuổi Trẻ previously reported that Cello Fundamento 6 had invited the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Romania's most prestigious orchestra, to perform with her.
A singular voice on the cello
According to Tuổi Trẻ, Maisky ranks among the top 10 cellists of all time, and of that group only he and Yo-Yo Ma are still alive and performing. He has played in most of the world's major music centres, including London, New York, Vienna, Berlin and Tokyo, with orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic. Rostropovich once praised him as one of the most outstanding talents of the younger generation of cellists, combining poetry and great refinement with virtuoso technique.
His approach to Bach has stirred plenty of debate. Maisky has argued that Bach was so far ahead of his time that he would be startled to see people trying to turn the clock back 300 years, and that there is no single correct way to play his music. He is also known for his flowing hair and for performing in custom-made silk outfits instead of a traditional tuxedo, for comfort.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Cello Fundamento 13 |
| Date | Evening of 2 November |
| Venue | Ho Guom Theatre (Nhà hát Hồ Gươm), Hanoi |
| Performers | Mischa Maisky (cello), Đinh Hoài Xuân (cello), Lily Maisky (piano), Nicolas Dautricourt (violin) |
| Programme | Works by Schubert, Brahms and Schumann, chosen by Maisky |
What's next
For the first time in Cello Fundamento's history, the programme is not being curated by Đinh Hoài Xuân: Maisky has chosen the works himself, including pieces by Schubert, Brahms and Schumann, and will appear in every item from start to finish on 2 November. Beyond the concert, he plans to take his whole family to visit Ha Long Bay.