Fables and Fairytales: Juan Sebastian Delgado, cello

Verisimo + Filmprov are thrilled to be working with the incredible cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado for our upcoming concert featuring the whimsical fairytales of Lotte Reiniger. Continue reading for a little bit more about Juan and come check him out and the rest of the gang at Anticafe (406 rue Notre Dame Est) Friday, March 29th at 8:30pm. Entry is $15 and includes unlimited tea, coffee, and pastries from the cafe.

Recognized for his expressive performances, Argentinean cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado recently completed his Doctoral studies in performance at McGill University with cellist Matt Haimovitz focusing on contemporary music and Nuevo Tango. The CBC Radio Ideas chose his artistic research to be featured throughout Canada and he was the featured cellist in the program Virtuoso Brain by the TV program Decouverte –CBC-.

Active in the creation and dissemination of new works that explore the cello in innovative ways and in multidisciplinary collaborations, Argentinian cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado has conducted a variety of projects on international stages in 22 different countries; Pájaro contra el borde de la noche for solo cello, ensemble and electronics by composer Luis Naon (Paris Conservatory, IRCAM 2017), in collaboration with Radio France and the Cairn Ensemble, Cinco Tangos Apócrifos for cello and string orchestra by Jorge Bosso (2016) and Mientras, antes… for cello and piano by Gustavo Beytelmann (ex pianist of Astor Piazzolla). At the “Creative Dialogues 2017”, he worked with world-renowned composer Kaija Saariaho and premiered new chamber works for strings and electronics in Helinski, Finland. At the Lyon Biennale 2018, he premiered Daniel’s Tango for cello and marimba by composer Marcelo Nisinman.

He is the cellist of Stick&Bow -marimba&cello- with percussionist Krystina Marcoux. Their programs present new and original creations for this rare instrumentation as well as their own arrangements of works from Boccherini to Radiohead. Winners of the SAVVY chamber music competition audience prize (US, 2017), were chosen by Jeneusses Musicale du Canada as the Emerging artists on tour 2019-20.

What is your favorite movie?

Modern Times by Charles Chaplin

Which soundtrack moves you the most?

Cinema Paradiso (Ennio Moricone)

Where do you get your inspiration for improvisation?

In the sound itself (colours, texture, articulation)

If you were a movie character, which one would you be?

Bardem in Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona by Woody Allen.

Are you originally from Montreal? If not where are you from and what brought you here?

No I am not but I wish, as it’s such a great city! I am originally from Mendoza, Argentina and I first came to Montreal for graduate studies in music performance at McGill.

Do you come from a musical family?

Not really, my sister plays the viola but my mom is a geologist and my dad is an engineer.

Is there a particular composer or composition that is a favorite of yours?

Many! So hard to choose...JS Bach, Beethoven, Piazzolla, Arvo Part, Schnittke, Shostakovich....

Do you have any advice for the younger generation of musicians?

Be persistent, study a lot, be curious, be open- minded, follow your passion and don’t let the outside world influence your feelings about music-making.

Do you have any crazy or strange performance/gig stories?

There are a few... playing in the first symphonic concert in the history of Belize, Teaching music and playing for children in favelas in northeastern Brazil, learning Pierrot Lunaire, Brahms trio, Shostakovich and Janacek quartets in a 10 days notice at an international music festival in Brazil, working with Famous composer Kaija Saariaho on her music in Finland, among others...

What about new music/improvisation drew you to it?

I got into free improv while a bachelor student at the Boston Conservatory. I studied with a French jazz pianist and since, I have been regularly engaged in free improvisation. While in Boston, I also developed a great affinity for new music which I have continued to cultivate over time.

What made you want to play your chosen instrument?

not sure! This is a question that always comes up and unfortunately, I don’t have any romantic story to tell. I did however, started playing on a small cello that belonged to my grandfather, whom I never met. By then, my sister had already started playing the viola, so I guess I was somehow influenced by her.

What advice would you give to your younger musical self?

practice more and be more organized when doing so!

What is your favorite thing to do outside of music?

Traveling, running, discovering new cultures and places, socializing with friends, red wine!