Ian Maksin, Guest Cellist and Composer
|
Russian-born, Chicago-based cellist and composer
Ian Maksin
has gained international recognition for his beautiful tone, unique innovative style and taking the cello outside its conventional role. As a soloist, he gives more than 200 public performances annually in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has performed in many prestigious concert halls throughout the world and has appeared at festivals such as Ravinia and Lollapalooza in the U.S., Spoleto and Ravenna in Italy and the White Nights Festival in Russia.
Maksin’s latest album
Zaria
features folk music from Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Belarus and Macedonia; his original compositions inspired by tango, flamenco, Balkan music, shamanic rhythms and slavic pagan chants; and his tributes to music of Jacques Brel, Bill Withers and Russian rock star Boris Grebenshchikov. On Orion’s concert program, he performs original compositions inspired by Tango Nuevo (a modern interpretation of the tango), blues, jazz, flamenco, and Middle Eastern and Eastern European folk music. Maksin also joins Orion cellist Judy Stone and other Ensemble members on Arensky’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 35.
|
|
|
You came to the United States at age 17. What was that like?
It was a bit rough to begin with, even though I had traveled to the West several times from the Soviet Union prior to coming as an exchange student to the U.S. as a high school senior. There was a certain cultural and language barrier, even though my English was quite good. The kids at the American high school didn’t know what to make of me. But there was music. I played guitar and sang some American rock and pop songs they all knew. It was an instant icebreaker. I made friends through music. And I think that was the first time in my life when I realized the power of music and how it connected people beyond language and culture.
You’ve been mentored by quite a few acclaimed artists. Who in particular stands out as being especially influential for you?
Probably Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT). I had an opportunity to work with him for three consecutive seasons when I was performing as the principal cellist with the New World Symphony where he was music director. MTT inspired me in many ways: he taught me, through his own example, the importance of having a personal connection with the live audience. From him I also learned about “energy management”; as a performing artist, I needed to learn how to function at my best under all circumstances: tired, sick, upset, hungry—I owe my best performance to the public no matter what. And lastly he was the one who encouraged me to go out there and explore, take risks, find my own artistic vision, seek my own path, find my own personal voice.
In addition to being highly regarded as a classical artist, you've performed and recorded with artists in a wide range of musical genres: Andrea Bocelli, P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan and Barry Gibb—even opening performances for Sting. What have you enjoyed most about those opportunities?
I grew up listening to and learning to enjoy all kinds of music: jazz, pop, world music. So to me these opportunities to take cello outside its conventional classical mode were very welcome. They inspired me to look for my own ways to bring cello music to audiences outside the classical realm.
|
|
The upcoming concert with Orion includes some of your original work. How would you describe it? Is it partly improvised?
My original music is very diverse: on my 2014 album
Soul Companion
, I recorded music that could be considered “contemporary classical,” that is, it conforms to its framework—it’s all written down and can be played by other artists, same notes every time. Some of the more recent compositions, such as Pensando en ti and Tango Blues, have “room” for improvisation in the middle of the piece, or “open for solos” as it would be said in the jazz world. And my latest experiments with the loop pedal—putting new layers of music on top of one another—also leaves a lot of room for real-time creativity and improvisation. My next goal is to create music for classical artists who don’t feel comfortable improvising, which would inspire and encourage them to venture into the “dreaded” realm of improvisation, to get “outside the box.” It was a very liberating experience for me and I hope to share this fulfilling gift with other musicians.
What do you enjoy about collaborating with the Orion Ensemble musicians?
To be honest, it’s been years since I have played chamber music, especially on such a high level, both technical and artistic. I have worked with many professional chamber groups, such as Cuarteto Lationamericano, Vermeer and Miami string quartets and have also played chamber music on big stages with major names in the classical industry, but it was in my “previous life.” The last five or six years, I have been mainly doing solo programs, which blend different genres and collaborations with musicians other than classical. Although things are beginning to swing back quite a bit: last season and in the upcoming season I have several performances playing concerti as a soloist with orchestra, reintroducing more classical repertoire into my solo programs, and hoping for more collaborations with such wonderful ensembles as Orion. We have already started rehearsing together, and I feel we hit it off from the very first note. There is definitely great chemistry, and I am very much looking forward to the November performances with Orion Ensemble!
What’s coming up next for you?
Oh, lots of things! I am off to Russia where I will have eight performances and several master classes in 10 days in different cities from Moscow to the Far East across eight time zones, then concerts and master classes in Estonia and Lithuania, then Armenia. Then I fly back to Chicago for three weeks packed with several completely different projects: three concerts with Orion; a big show with my band Zaria in St. Joseph, Michigan; a multimedia performance at TEDex Naperville; another big show at 210 Live in Highwood, Illinois, with a completely different program and guest artists; and then a five-day recording session with world-renowned percussionist Kahil El Zabar, saxophonist David Murray and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on a major European label, playing ethno-jazz. Then again off to Russia and Georgia (country) for a dozen more concerts and community engagements. Then a couple of weeks off during the holidays and a Pacific tour in January, which will also include guest lectures on entrepreneurship in music at the Menlo College in California. How’s that for a busy quarter?
Photo Credits: Steve Ivanov
(top photo)
; Ksenia Poulber
(middle photo);
Andre Gabb (bottom photo)
|
|
See Orion's November Concerts!
|
|
Russian Passion
Nov. 11 - 7 pm (First Congregational Church, Glen Ellyn)
Nov. 14 - 7:30 pm (PianoForte Studios, Chicago)
Nov. 18 - 7:30 pm (Nichols Concert Hall, Evanston)
$26 adults | $23 seniors | $10 students
“Innovative programming. Unique repertoire.
Thoughtful performances that get to the music’s soul.”
~ Jim Ginsburg, President, Cedille Records
26 Years – The Journey Continues – 2018-19
|
|
The Orion Ensemble is supported in part by grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and by generous donations from our dedicated patrons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|