NEW YORK—The musicians that honored Esther Prince during a memorial concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation exhibited a full-flavored and savory musical concoction confirming Zuill Bailey's statement: "The cello is the most perfect instrument aside from the human voice."
It was said that Esther Prince was the "Pearl Mesta of the cello world." If you are too young to know D.C.'s Mesta, Prince promoted and lovingly supported the Violoncello Society of New York for over 40 years with social activities and good will.
On this evening her fans gathered to remember. Cellists played in groups—young with old, those with a distinguished career and those just starting out. Casals' "The Song of the Birds", played by Bernard Greenhouse, Jeffrey Solow, Nicholas Anderson, Marcy Rosen and Barbara Stein Mallow, carried the audience into reverential appreciation.
Cello virtuoso Christine Walevska made a solo appearance, accompanied by a talented newcomer Yu Lee, with Bloch's "Nigun" and "Nocturne in C# Minor" by Chopin.
A slide show presented highlights of Prince's professional and personal life followed by a reading by personal friend Judd Jones.
An amazing group of cello masters with soprano Serena Benedetti closed the concert with several selections. Familiar to many, the Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5" featured Amy Sue Barston, Evangeline enedetti, Timothy Eddy, Daryl Goldberg, Jody Shulman, Paul Tobias, Ru-Pei Yeh and Wei Yu.
Given with such love, the evening closed with a reception of refreshments and informal remembrances.
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