Living the Classical Life

I have been watching a new film series called Living the Classical Life which is wonderfully hosted by pianist and journalist Zsolt Bognár, and I'm a big fan.  Episode 27 was released earlier last week and it features one of my favorite people: the multi-talented, award-winning cellist of the Cavani String Quartet, teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music, director of the Perlman Music Program's Chamber Music Workshop, host of a radio talk show, comedian, and overall an A+ of a human being...(wait for it)...Merry Peckham!  Merry has been a longtime mentor and is the one who made me fall in love with Chamber Music (yes, that deserves capitals) when I was a young and curious cellist of 12 attending the utopia of music festivals, the Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, NY.  She opened up a whole new world of music to me and all of my childhood camp mates with her energetic spirit, and revealed how fun, dramatic, intimate, beautiful, hilarious, and expressive playing chamber music could be.  This interview captures her perfectly and is a beautifully honest look into her tremendous contribution to the world.  Watch it, you will love it.

Merry Peckham is a founding member of the Cavani String Quartet, winner of numerous awards and prizes including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award. She has toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, and won the overall string category as well as the cello division of the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition. Ms. Peckham and her colleagues in The Cavani Quartet were named Musical America’s Young Artists of the Year, received the ASCAP-Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, the Guarneri String Quartet Residency Award, the Ohio Governor’s Award and five Chamber Music America Residency Partnership Grants. Ms. Peckham is Assistant Director of The Perlman Music Program, Director of The Chamber Music Workshop @ The Perlman Music Program and is on the cello and chamber music faculties at The Cleveland Institute of Music. She is also host of the radio program Offbeat which is aired weekly on WCLV, 104.9 FM.