SOLOIST NATHAN CHAN SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON REUNITING WITH MENTOR DONATO CABRERA, PERFORMING GULDA’S CELLO CONCERTO AT SCHUBERT IN VIENNA, GROWING UP AS A MUSICAL PRODIGY, AND HOW TO GO VIRAL ON TIKTOK.
What’s it like to come home and perform in the Bay Area with your former mentor, Donato Cabrera?
It is with great excitement, enthusiasm and honor to reunite with my former San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra maestro, Donato Cabrera! I had the privilege of making my Shostakovich Cello Concerto debut with Donato back in 2010. I remember the journey being exhilarating and wild, while also being immensely rewarding and educational. The ability to perform it alongside with Donato, and with so many wonderful orchestral colleagues was something I’ll never forget. I also truly enjoyed my experience making music with the California Symphony back in 2022, performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto. To be able to sink into that triumphany tragedy of a piece with the giving musicians of the California Symphony was incredibly heartwarming. In addition, my experience with Sound Minds particularly stood out, and I can’t wait to reunite with the students and educators this time around! I can’t wait to experience a new musical journey with Maestro Cabrera this time around with Gulda’s soaring cello concerto.
Your mom says you were literally in diapers when you first conducted San Jose Chamber orchestra. Can you talk a little about your musical upbringing?
I had a very unusual start in my musical upbringing, to say the least. I was influenced and inspired heavily by the way classical music in particular was presented through visual media. Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts, the immaculate music performances of the Berlin Philharmonic, and documentaries with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra were hugely influential to me from ages 2–3.
I actually began my musical journey by taking a chopstick and conducting alongside our TV at home. Seeing the amazing connection between physical movement and sound fascinated me. After a stint conducting the San Jose Chamber Orchestra in a set of Mozart variations under the guidance of Sara Jobin, I began formal cello lessons with Bay Area legend Irene Sharp at the age of 5.
You are very active on social media, racking up an impressive 35+ million views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. What’s the secret to making great content and going viral?
Haha, I am still figuring and experimenting out a secret sauce! To me, social media has been amazing in connecting with my musical peers. I love that there is a renaissance era of sharing behind the scenes, real life experiences of classical musicians. Being a classical musician can sometimes feel lonely, or can feel like we are fighting uphill battles, and social media has really created a wonderful community in which we as performers, educators and enthusiasts can connect.
As far as any tips for budding creators, I recommend first and foremost being yourself and creating content that you yourself would enjoy watching. If you need some secret secret tips… follow me @nathanchancello and DM me 🙂
Gulda’s Cello Concerto is famously genre-bending. What should first-time listeners listen for, and what do you love about it?
Gulda gives you permission to enjoy the cello in a variety of musical flavors with each of its 5 movements showcasing elements of classical lyricism, jazzy swagger, rock-god energy, and even moments that feel like the band just kicked the front doors open. I love how fearless it is. Gulda himself was a classically trained jazz pianist, teacher and innovator and I can only imagine what a journey it was for him to write it was for the great Austrian cellist Heinrich Schiff. The best way to listen is to follow the character changes like scenes in a film: when it turns, turn with it. If you come in expecting only a traditional concerto, you’ll be surprised. If you come in ready for a joyful musical ride, it’s a blast. Check out this clip of me playing it!
Any words of wisdom for parents or grandparents who think they may have musical prodigies in the family?
Be as supportive as possible without ever forcing one’s own agenda on a child. Please be an attentive and supportive observer of their skills, and when you see a twinkle in their eye, run with it. I cannot express how important having my own agency, and allowing the space for me to find my own way, has helped me become a more confident human being.
Nathan Chan performs Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto at SCHUBERT IN VIENNA, Saturday, January 24 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, January 25 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under, and include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk starting one hour before the performance. Buy tickets online or call or visit the Lesher Center Ticket Office at 925.943.7469, Wed – Sun, 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
