TONIGHT ON SHOWCASE WITH BARBARA KELLAR, PRINCIPAL CELLIST OF THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ILYA FINKELSTEIN.

STAY TUNED.

SHOWCASE STARTS RIGHT NOW.

[MUSIC] KELLAR: HI, I'M BARBARA KELLAR AND ON SHOWCASE TODAY WE HAVE A REALLY INTERESTING TALE TO TELL AND SOME REALLY, REALLY GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OWN CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

AND TO TELL ALL THESE THINGS IS THE PRINCIPAL CELLIST AND THE EMERY CHAIR FOR THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ILYA FINKELSHTEYN.

AND WE SEE YOU ON STAGE WORKING VERY HARD, BUT WE WANT -- THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT.

BUT LET'S TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT FIRST ABOUT THE CELLO.

FINKELSHTEYN: ABSOLUTELY.

KELLAR: TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS INCREDIBLE CELLO.

FINKELSHTEYN: FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON HERE.

THE CELLO WAS MADE IN VENICE IN 1730 BY ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING LUTHIERS OF THE TIME, DOMENICO MONTAGNANA.

AND IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST PREMIERED INSTRUMENTS OR CONCERT INSTRUMENTS THAT GREAT ARTISTS OF THE DAY NOW EVEN ARE USING ON THE CONCERT STAGES, INCLUDING YO-YO MA, TRULS MORK, ALISA WEILERSTEIN.

KELLAR: THEY ALL.

FINKELSTYNE: MISCHA MAISKY, THEY ALL PLAY CELLO BY MONTAGNANA.

SO IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE AND A RESPONSIBILITY AND JUST ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS TO HAVE THAT INSTRUMENT IN MY HANDS AND PLAY IT EVERY DAY.

KELLAR: ARE YOU AWARE OF ALL THE PROVENANCE OF WHO OWNED IT THROUGH THE YEARS?

FINKELSHTEYN: WE ACTUALLY -- WE KNOW ABOUT IT FROM ABOUT 1790.

SO IT GOES BACK QUITE A BIT.

KELLAR: 20 TO 90, YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: WELL, NO, BUT SO IT'S QUITE AN INTERESTING STORY.

KELLAR: GO AHEAD, TELL US.

FINKELSHTEYN: SO IT BELONGED TO A FAMILY IN VENICE, FARINA FAMILY.

AND THEY WERE MAKING PERFUMES.

AND AFTER A WHILE, THEY MOVED TO COLOGNE, GERMANY.

KELLAR: THAT MAKES SENSE.

YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: RIGHT.

AND SO THEY LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT THEY NAMED THEIR PERFUME EAU DE COLOGNE.

AND SO SINCE THEN, THE NAME STUCK.

SO THEY HAD AN INSTRUMENT IN THE FAMILY FOR ABOUT 90 YEARS.

THEY TOOK IT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

THEN THE CELLO WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE HILLS, WHICH IS DEALERS -- MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DEALERS IN LONDON.

THEY SAID THAT ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS CELLIST OF THE TIME, ALFREDO PIATTI, PLAYED THIS INSTRUMENT, AND WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THAT IN THE DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE CELLO.

AND THEN FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS, THIS CELLO WAS USED BY MAY MUKLE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRITISH CELLIST OF THE TIME.

AND I HAVE A POSTCARD WITH HER, WITH THIS.

YEAH.

THERE ARE PICTURES OF HER PLAYING THE CELLO ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SHE WENT TO EVERY CONTINENT.

KELLAR: YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: ACTUALLY, JUST THIS MORNING, I WAS LISTENING TO A YOUTUBE RECORDING OF HER IN 1915 PLAYING ON THIS PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT.

KELLAR: WOW!

ON YOUR CELLO?

FINKELSHTEYN: ON THIS CELLO, YEAH.

SO SHE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRITISH CELLISTS PRE JACQUELINE DU PRE.

KELLAR: YEAH.

I REMEMBER HER.

FINKELSHTEYN: RIGHT.

AND SO THEN THE CELLO WAS SOLD TO A CELLIST IN NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, AND THEN IT MADE ITS WAY TO A PRINCIPAL CELLIST IN MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA.

ROBERT JAMIESON HAD IT FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.

AND AFTER HE PASSED AWAY, HIS FAMILY DECIDED TO SELL IT.

AND.

I GOT A CALL INDEPENDENTLY FROM TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, LITERALLY 8 HOURS APART.

KELLAR: YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: THAT THIS CELLO CAME ON THE MARKET, AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT BE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN.

SO.

I REMEMBER THAT DAY VERY WELL BECAUSE I GOT A CALL AT NIGHT ON FRIDAY AND IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY.

AND SO THE CONCERT THAT WE HAD THAT NIGHT, AFTER THE CONCERT, I WENT TO TALK TO JONATHAN MARTIN AND LOUIS LANGRÉÉE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS INCREDIBLE CELLO AND IT'S IN MINNESOTA AND IT'S APPARENTLY ONLY THREE MILES FROM MY PARENTS HOUSE.

SO THEY BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU GO AND GET IT?

WHY DON'T YOU GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, PLAY IT?"

I WAS ON THE PLANE NEXT DAY, FLEW IN AND PLAYED THIS INSTRUMENT FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS.

I TRIED EVERY POSSIBLE COMBINATION OF STRINGS AND EVERYTHING.

AND THE INSTRUMENT WAS REMARKABLE, IT WAS TRULY.

I WAS IN AWE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO DESCRIBE IT, BESIDES BEING JUST BEAUTIFUL AND IMPOSING.

THE SOUND WAS BREATHTAKING.

KELLAR: SO THEN YOU HAD TO IN TURN SELL THE IDEA.

FINKELSHTEYN: YEAH.

SO THEN I CAME BACK AND I SAID, "THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS -- WE CANNOT LET IT OUT OF OUR SIGHTS."

AND SO IT TOOK A HUGE EFFORT TO GET THIS CELLO HERE AND TO AUDITION IT ACTUALLY IN OUR HALL, BECAUSE SOME INSTRUMENTS SOUND GREAT AND ONE LOCATION, SOME IN ANOTHER.

YEAH.

SO WE ACTUALLY AUDITIONED IT BEHIND THE SCREEN.

KELLAR: BLIND AUDITION.

FINKELSHTEYN: BLIND AUDITION.

ANOTHER INSTRUMENT WAS A STRADIVARI CELLO, ACTUALLY, AND I PLAYED THE STRADIVARI FIRST AND OF COURSE BEHIND THE SCREEN, NOBODY KNEW WHAT IT WAS.

AND THEY SAID, "OH, THAT SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL."

AND THEN I PLAYED THE MONTAGNANA AND IT WAS QUIET.

AND THEN I HEARD A GROAN.

THEN JONATHAN MARTIN SAID TO ME, "COULD YOU PLAY SOME BACH?"

AND I PLAYED IT.

AND PEOPLE CAME OUT FROM THE HOOD, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SCREEN.

AND I ACTUALLY SEE SOMEBODY WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES.

KELLAR: OH, MY GOSH.

FINKELSHTEYN: AND SO THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT THE INSTRUMENT FITS THE HALL, FITS THE WAY I PLAY, FITS NOT ONLY MY IDEA OF WHAT A WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT WOULD BE, BUT ALSO LOUIS LANGREE LOVED IT.

AND I'VE KNOWN LOUIS FOR MANY YEARS AND HE'S HEARD ME ON MANY INSTRUMENTS.

I'D BEEN SEARCHING FOR A LONG TIME, AND HE WOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE INSTRUMENTS.

"YEAH, I LIKE THIS ONE.

I DON'T LOVE THAT ONE AS MUCH."

AND HE ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS ONE.

HE HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT NOT ONLY FOR ME, BUT IN THE ORCHESTRA ESPECIALLY.

KELLAR: SO DID YOU -- WERE YOU IN CONFERENCE WHEN THEY PRESENTED THE IDEA AND GOT THEIR REACTION?

FINKELSHTEYN: I THINK -- YES, I WAS.

AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE, YOU KNOW, I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE WHEN THE FEW PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE JUST DECIDED TO MAKE A DECISION AND TO FIND A WAY TO PURCHASE IT AND TO HAVE IT HERE.

AND IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE THING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE VISION OF EVERYBODY, TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS INSTRUMENT IS AND ALSO WHAT IT CAN DO FOR THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY, FOR OUR SOUND, FOR OUR STATURE, AND FOR ABILITY TO CREATE.

KELLAR: YEAH.

WAS TIM MALONEY IN THAT?

FINKELSHTEYN: YES.

HE ABSOLUTELY WAS.

KELLAR: HE STEPPED UP.

FINKELSHTEYN: HE DID.

KELLAR: HE STEPPED UP, AS HE HAS FOR SO MANY THINGS, AND MADE THIS HAPPEN.

AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO HAVE THESE KIND OF INSTRUMENTS IN OUR SYMPHONY.

FINKELSHTEYN: YEAH.

IT'S ONE OF THE FIRST ONES THAT WE GOT.

AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

BESIDES MAKING AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON THE SOUND OF THE ORCHESTRA, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS GET VERY EXCITED PLAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO THEY GIVE MORE.

THEY LOOK FOR MORE COLORS, MORE EXPRESSION, AND THE SOUND BECOMES JUST EVER MORE CREAMIER AND EXPRESSIVE.

NOT -- TO SAY BEAUTIFUL IS NOT ENOUGH, I THINK, IT'S BECAUSE WE LOOK FOR ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT EXPRESSION, BUT ALSO AN INSTRUMENT LIKE THAT ATTRACTS TALENT TO THE ORCHESTRA.

SO WHENEVER PEOPLE LEAVE THE JOB AND THERE'S AN OPENING, ESPECIALLY FOR A PRINCIPAL CHAIR, FOR CONCERTMASTER CHAIR, TO HAVE AN INSTRUMENT LIKE THAT.

KELLAR: ATTRACTS.

FINKELSHTEYN: EVERYBODY WANTS TO COME HERE.

KELLAR: YEAH.

SO YOU OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HOPING THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE IN THE FUTURE.

DO YOU EVER PLAY A SOLO?

FINKELSHTEYN: I DO PLAY SOLO WITH THE ORCHESTRA VERY OFTEN.

I PLAY ORCHESTRAL SOLOS IN THERE, JUST SITTING IN THE ORCHESTRA.

BUT SOMETIMES I PLAY SOLOS WITH THE ORCHESTRA AS A SOLOIST.

WE PLAYED RICHARD STRAUSS, DON QUIXOTE, JUST IN 2018, VERY -- JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INSTRUMENT WAS PURCHASED.

AND I TELL YOU, IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

KELLAR: WHEN IT FIRST CAME TO THE CITY, SOMEBODY OBVIOUSLY BROUGHT IT.

FINKELSHTEYN: SOMEBODY BROUGHT IT.

ACTUALLY, A DEALER FROM NEW YORK WHO AT THE TIME WAS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, HAD TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE WORLD FROM GENEVA TO NEW YORK TO MINNESOTA TO BRING THE CELLO HERE.

WE HAD JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS TO ADJUST IT AND TAKE A LOOK.

HE GOT BACK ON THE PLANE, WENT TO NEW YORK, AND WENT BACK TO SWITZERLAND.

IT WAS IN 32 HOURS.

KELLAR: THE WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING THESE INCREDIBLE INSTRUMENTS AND MAKING OUR SYMPHONY EVEN BETTER AND BETTER.

AND I KNOW LOUIS IS LEAVING, OF COURSE.

AND DO THE -- IS THERE A COMMITTEE?

DO YOU HAVE ANY INPUT IN THAT PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR NEW?

FINKELSHTEYN: I THINK -- NO, THERE IS NO COMMITTEE PER SE, BUT I KNOW THE MANAGEMENT IS INTERESTED.

OF COURSE THE PLAYERS WHO ARE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN PLAYING GREAT INSTRUMENTS AND IT MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW?

IT'S SUCH A SOUND THAT IT MAKES EVERYBODY JUST SIT UP, YOU KNOW- KELLAR: YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: --AND ENJOY AND PERFORM EVER BETTER.

KELLAR: IT'S AN INSPIRATION FOR ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY.

AND I WANT YOU TO DO MORE SOLOS SO WE CAN HEAR IT.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE A DEMONSTRATION OF A NORMAL CELLO AND THEN...?

FINKELSHTEYN: I HAVE NOT DONE THAT EXACTLY.

BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.

I HAVE TO SAY, THERE ARE A LOT OF WONDERFUL, MODERN, CONTEMPORARY MAKERS.

AND I DON'T KNOW, I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY JUST AS GOOD AS SOMEBODY WHO LIVED ALMOST 300 YEARS AGO.

BUT THOSE INSTRUMENTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TEST OF TIME.

AND SOMEHOW, JUST LIKE GREAT WINE, YOU KNOW?

KELLAR: YES, RIGHT.

WELL, I'M A BIG -- I GO TO VENICE EVERY YEAR.

I'VE BEEN THERE ARE PROBABLY 35 TIMES.

I MEAN, SERIOUSLY THAT MANY TIMES.

BUT I NEVER KNEW THAT THEY -- WAS THAT A COMMON THING OR WAS THIS JUST ONE?

FINKELSHTEYN: YOU KNOW, THEY STILL -- THERE ARE SOME INSTRUMENT MAKERS THAT STILL LIVE THERE.

BUT DURING THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY, THERE WERE SOME OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING MAKERS THERE BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY WEALTHY TOWN.

KELLAR: OH, YEAH.

THEY SORT OF RULED THE WORLD.

FINKELSHTEYN: EXACTLY.

THEY GOT THE BEST MATERIALS FOR INSTRUMENT MAKING.

AND SO THEY WANTED TO SHOW TO EVERYBODY HOW BEAUTIFUL OF A PIECE THEY COULD MAKE.

KELLAR: IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN YOU COULDN'T CONTROL THE HUMIDITY, AND VENICE CAN BE REALLY HUMID.

I WONDER HOW THAT -- HOW THEY HANDLED THAT PART OF.

FINKELSHTEYN: WELL, THE WOOD WAS OLD, SO IT WAS -- IT ALREADY HAD KIND OF MATURED.

KELLAR: BEEN THROUGH THAT.

FINKELSHTEYN: OF COURSE.

AND ALSO SOME PEOPLE SAY THE THE VARNISH THAT THEY USED PRESERVED THE WOOD FROM WARPING TOO MUCH.

KELLAR: OH, OKAY.

FINKELSHTEYN: BUT SO, I MEAN, IT'S STILL HERE 300 YEARS LATER.

KELLAR: EXACTLY.

DO MODERN SCIENTISTS KNOW HOW THEY MADE THAT VARNISH?

FINKELSHTEYN: I THINK THEY DO, BUT THERE'S STILL -- KELLAR: IT'S NOT THE SAME, YEAH.

FINKELSHTEYN: YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE AN INSTRUMENT BEING AN EXACT COPY OR WHATEVER.

BUT THEY FORGET THAT THERE'S ALSO A TALENT OF A MAKER THAT COMES INTO IT.

KELLAR: YEAH, EXACTLY.

SO YOU'VE AGREED TO GIVE US A SHORT PERFORMANCE ON THIS INCREDIBLE INSTRUMENT.

YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY BACH.

FINKELSHTEYN: I'M GOING TO PLAY SOME BACH.

I LOVE BACH, OF COURSE, AS A CELLIST, BUT ALSO IT SHOWS OFF EVERY POSSIBLE ABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT.

KELLAR: YEAH, WELL, WE'RE REALLY ANXIOUS TO HEAR IT AND TO SEE YOU AT THE SYMPHONY.

FINKELSHTEYN: ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.

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