Cello and piano can be a brutal matchup when nobody makes room, but when the balance is right it becomes one of the most revealing duo formats in music. We sit down with cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O’Riley to trace how their partnership started, why it clicked so fast, and what they’ve learned from years of turning rehearsal into a kind of shared research lab.
We talk about building programs that cross borders without losing rigor, from Shuffle Play Listen to projects that pull ideas from Beethoven, contemporary music, and arranged songs by artists like Radiohead. Chris shares the pianist’s responsibility for momentum and for protecting the “lyric impulse,” and Matt explains how true collaboration feels less like compromise and more like testing ideas until the music tells you what it needs.
Then we go deep on Bach Dialogues: Bach sonatas reimagined with a five-string Baroque cello piccolo and the clavichord, an instrument Bach loved for its dynamic control and string-like touch. They unpack the realities of gut strings, pitch standards like A=415, why the clavichord is both expressive and famously quiet, and how modern recording and modeling technology can help bring an “impossible” instrument pairing to life onstage and in the studio.
If you care about chamber music, historically informed performance, Bach interpretation, or simply how great musicians listen to each other, this conversation is full of practical insight. Subscribe, share this with a musician friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.
For more information on Matt: https://www.matthaimovitz.com/
You can also find Matt on Facebook and Instagram: @Matthaimovitz
Youtube: @Matthaimovitz
For more information on Chris: https://christopheroriley.com/
You can also find Chris on Facebook and Instagram: @christopher_oriley_
Youtube: @ChristopherORiley360
To download "The Bach Dialogues" https://www.pentatonemusic.com/product/the-bach-dialogues-digital-only-album/
If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com
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For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com
