“I was by no means a prodigy.” - Steven Isserlis 

"It sort of helps when you realize you are not any good at anything else, that helps decide you" The blunt honesty of that statement is so relatable.

Other than his amazing cello skills and eloquence, his hair is magnificent!

I had no idea Steven Isserlis was such a lovely man. Not until I started watching these interviews with him. It's a pleasure to listen to him.

A musical hero of mine in a spectacular interview, lovely watching! Amazing he talks about stage fright; I have seen him live numerous times and just once I recall him getting nervous during a Schumann concerto with BBCSO. It was so brief, at the beginning, and by no means obvious, needless to say it was a stunning, poetic performance. The man cares so very deeply about the music, and the composer. He lives and breathes music. What a marvellous human.

delightful PERSON, incredible musician. not all musicians can boast being both.

The BEST possible interview, full of humor, courtesy, and not a second wasted...the questions flow directly but calmly, the answers equally direct with absolute truths leavened with wit and fun! Thank you for revealing this superb artist also as a loveable person!

intelligent questions and great answers!

Steven always makes unbelievably beautiful sounds. I really love it.

I love that when he's performing that he doesn't look at the 'cello when he's playing. He allows the 'cello to sing and although he's playing it, of course, his performance feels very free and unrestricted. And the instrument itself has an absolutely gorgeous voice. As a string player myself, I understand the vocalization that an instrument itself gives to the music. It is just a wonderful feeling to give voice to what the composer has written.

This interviewer is wonderful; one of the best interviewers on classical music, I have ever seen/heard!

What a delightful and genuine person Steven Isserlis is. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this interview and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“If the career becomes more important than the music”. Wow! As a professional musician I’ve seen this too many times and it’s so sad. Ditto for professional musicians who sell their instruments or refuse to ever sing/play again when they retire. That’s not being a musician! Isserlis is so right about playing music for children. I also agree with him about teaching. There’s nothing worse than a teacher who hates to teach! I know from my own student days. But a teacher who cares and wants to share their knowledge is a gem.

What a genuinely honest, modest and pleasant artist. I learned a lot about music just listening to him. Thank you so much for this interview.

What a wonderfully honest man. Thank you!

Love Steven Isserlis. We have been lucky to hear him perform at Wigmore Hall many times over the years. He has a great spirit and is always a joy to see on stage.

Best interview ever!! Brilliantly done! The interviewer actually let Isserlis do the talking without interruption! Really really enjoyed it! Thank you for posting!

Man, you are a fantastic interviewer. Great questions!

Steven Isserlis is obviously a really intelligent person with an impeccable musical integrity. Interesting that with such expertise and experience he still experiences "stage fright" . . . one idea that may help any musician to combat performance "butterflies" is to take the focus off of "how will I do?" and turn that around to ask "how may I serve?" The audience is hungry for a musical treat and you're there to serve one up to them. Brilliant interview style in the Living the Classical Life series - SO well done!

My favourite Cellist. I have been lucky enough to see Steven in concert many times and each time was a wonderful experience. Great interview, thank you.

Analyse, know the music you are going to play, his approach is, he says,, almost scientific. Very interesting to know more Iserliss, a cellist whose Beethoven Cello Sonatas I love, as the Brahms ones with Peter Evans at piano. His sound is one of the best ever heard. This modest character states humour is as important as tragedy in music. Winner of important awards, Isserlis is no doubt one of the more important cellist of our times.

Fantastic interview. Also, I really appreciated Isserlis’ honesty as well as his wonderful approach to music and performing.

Great interviewer and wonderful answers. All budding classical musicians should see this.

Great interview with one of the most interesting musicians! Thanks for uploading!

Well done Zsolt for this great interview with this wonderful musician, warm greetings from Romania!

He is going to play at my city tonight, looking forward to his concert platform!

Yes, such amazing cellist & musician as musical researcher of taste, style and this private, very inwords part of the composer and compositions...

Fantastic interview. He is a very interesting person in addition to being a fantastic musician. Good questions by the interviewer too

Wonderful interview.

Good interview. Isserlis' playing is extraordinary.

Thank you for another wonderful interview! Great artists like Isserlis are so in touch with what is important in life! I can see and hear the joy in his face and voice! I unfortunately ha e not heard of him before, but will now seek out his music, as I have loved your interview with him. Thank you for this!

I try to get to any concerts of his, I can. Last year I saw a chamber concert twice, in two different venues. The music was so very different from each other. I loved the experience.

Just found this wonderful channel. What a great joy to listen to the interviews. Thank you so much.

What an amazing man

Loved it!

Excellent interview, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Dear living classical friends Children are very sensitive to music Specialy while they are not filled with the physical and spirital Ego-istic where adults have forgotten their child within their spiritual hearts of light and are taken by time and space wich actually have no existence only by man created and their head is filled with one thought than follows the next moments,you should listen within our hearts as one like the ears on a Angel wings,thank you Roy van Zadel All classical stories are deprived from the infinite Ocean of unconditional love 4For all life equally🙏🏼☔☀️👨‍💻✌👼🤸‍♂️🚵‍♂️😊💙💎❤✨🤗🌈❣

Absolutely inspiring

What an artist! Beautiful interview.

Saw him playing the Bach Cello Suites in Bovey Tracey (Devon) last week. Phenomenal!

Un homenaje al magisterio: buenos maestros y mejores alumnos. ¡Qué importante es motivar e inspirar a los estudiantes! Para quienes no somos capaces de leer una partitura, no nos queda más remedio que escuchar grabaciones de nuestras obras favoritas con distintos intérpretes. Pero entiendo el punto: hay que acudir a las fuentes originales y tratar de ser fiel a las intenciones del compositor.

LiSten to these interwiews! Interesting!

A very interesting interview not in small part due to the interviewer's excellent questions and unobtrusive style.

great interview

I love this interview! Very inspiring and quite interesting. Isserlis is truly an amazing musician. Best regards.

I hope Isserlis gets to see this. I write a diary in episodes which I send to about ten people about everything, life, politics, music and my next episode will be about Isserlis and Schumann. I'm just sorry I can't find his slow movement of the cello concerto on the net. The lovely aria from Schumann's Mass ends the selection a bit abruptly so I'm adding the slow movement of Schumann''s second Symphony on at the end. I used not to think much of the last movement of the cello concerto but isserlis makes t come to life.

Sando Vech was a violinist though. at 13;26.

Is Steven from the midlands? Or Liverpool--to these naïve American ears he sounds a bit like John Lennon!! Remarkable artist--great interview and interviewer!

What is the opening piece??

What's the piano piece that was played in the intro of this video? Great interview, thanks for sharing

19:00

19:41

He reminds me a bit of Roddy McDowall.

The dry wit of Steven Isserlis. Plus the deep thinker Steven Isserlis.

14;16 to me that's the nub ; "to bring out the best "....educare. In education ....."to draw out of the student"... needs skill of an experienced teacher....

Classic narcissist. Next....