UCLA Strings

About Antonio Lysy

Cellist Antonio Lysy has performed as soloist worldwide, in major concert halls, appearing with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras of London, Camerata Academica of Salzburg, Zurich Tonhalle, the Zagreb Soloists, Orchestra di Padova e il Veneto, Israel Sinfonietta, and in Canada with the Montreal, Toronto, Symphony Orchestras, and Les Violons du Roi. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov, Charles Dutoit, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Sandor Vegh.

Antonio performs regularly in solo and chamber music recitals. As one of Southern California’s most prominent cellists he is frequently invited as guest artist to distinguished series. Recent performances include the Los Angeles County Museum of the Arts, UCLA’s Royce Hall with members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Da Camera Society series, Music Guild Chamber Music Society Series and the Clarke Library recital series. Committed to special projects which enrich his diverse interests in music, Antonio has initiated and collaborated in performances of concert Tango, dramatized recitals and multi-media productions.

Antonio enjoys exploring the versatility of the cello’s voice from baroque to electric. Having this wide range in scope, literally at his fingertips, has also deepened his commitment to contemporary music.

Recent engagements include Antonio’s New York City debut recital with pianist Pascal Rogé, at Symphony Space as the closing concert for the New York Chamber Music Festival. Another meeting of musical minds has led to an inspired partnership with distinguished Canadian pianist Jane Coop with engagements to perform the Beethoven sonata cycle in the US, France, Canada, and Italy.

His love and commitment to chamber music is also demonstrated by his musical directorship and founding in 1989 of the annual Incontri in Terra di Siena Chamber Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy. 2010 will mark its twenty second season. Distinguished artists from around the globe take part in this idyllic summer retreat, which is crowned by performances in medieval fortresses, palazzi and churches in this Southern Tuscan region. (www.itslafoce.org)

Mr. Lysy has recorded extensively for CBC Radio, BBC Radio, Classic FM and other European radio networks. In addition, he has recorded for the Claves, Dinemec Classics, Fonè, and Pelléas labels. A new album dedicated to cello works from Argentina, including a new work written for him by Lalo Schifrin, released in mid 2010 on the Yarlung Records label was awarded a Latin Grammy in November 2010.

In the summer of 2003 Antonio accepted the position of Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he now resides.

He plays on a Carlo Tononi cello made in Bologna, in 1700.