American cellist Alisa Weilerstein, “arguably Yo-Yo Ma’s heiress apparent as sovereign of the American cello” (New York), has long been recognized for her distinctive and important musical voice. Since making her professional debut at age 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra, Weilerstein has pursued her art with intellectual and artistic curiosity, and she has performed on the world’s great stages – from Carnegie Hall to the White House. In 2011, she was named a MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellow, prompting the New York Times to comment that “any fellowship that recognizes the vibrancy of an idealistic musician like Ms. Weilerstein … deserves a salute from everyone in classical music.” The same newspaper described her as “a throwback to an earlier age of classical performers: not content merely to serve as a vessel for the composer’s wishes, she inhabits a piece fully and turns it to her own ends.”