Amit Peled. From the United States via Europe to the Middle East and Asia, Israeli cellist Amit Peled, a musician of profound artistry with a charismatic stage presence, is acclaimed as one of the most exciting instrumentalists on the concert stage today. At 6’5” tall, Peled started life as a basketball player and has been called “larger than life” when he enveloped his cello and earned the sobriquet “Jacqueline du Pré in a farmer’s body”. Peled often surprises audiences with the way he breaks down barriers between performers and the public, making classical music more accessible to wider audiences. Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun reflected on a recent performance: “Peled did a lot of joking in remarks to the audience. His amiable and inviting personality is exactly the type everyone says we’ll need more of if classical music is to survive.”
During the 2016/17 season, the artist will continue sharing with audiences around the world the sound of Pablo Casals’ historic cello. Marta Casals Istomin, the widow of Maestro Casals, personally handed him the instrument, a Goffriller ca. 1733. Some of the upcoming highlights with this historic cello include a Bach Suite program at the Ravinia Festival, a new Naxos installment with the Tempest Trio, and performances with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra.
Amit Peled has performed as a soloist with many orchestras and appeared in the world’s leading concert halls, including venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Wigmore Hall in London; Konzerthaus in Berlin; and Tel Aviv’s Mann Auditorium.
Amit Peled has featured on television and radio stations throughout the world, including NPR’s “Performance Today,” WGBH Boston, WQXR New York, WFMT Chicago, Deutschland Radio Berlin, Radio France, and Israeli National Radio & TV.
One of the most sought after cello teachers, Peled is a Professor at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University.
