People who meet me encounter a self-confident person who expresses what she thinks and feels openly and passionately. But the self-confidence with which I can express myself today is mainly thanks to my instrument. I grew up in a family of musicians and have always loved the voluminous sound of the cello. When I started playing myself, the cello gave me a way to communicate to others. It was my voice that I could raise through the cello. My voice that I otherwise wouldn’t even speak in front of my classmates.
Through my musical family, becoming a professional musician was a natural process. And I feel I had the right teachers at the right time – from my first trio rehearsals under the direction of Haim Taub in Tel Aviv to studying with Bernard Greenhouse in Massachusetts, who gave me a new sound language. The last teacher to infect me with his perfectionism and professionalism was David Geringas. And more importantly, he helped me to find and consolidate my own style.
Chamber music is still my favourite form of music. It is the interplay of self- realisation and collaborative work. With Daniel Bard and Ohad Ben-Ari, I founded the Trio Mondrian in 2006, with whom I toured internationally for 13 years, in Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Laeiszhalle, the Concertgebouw, and many more. Whether as solo cellist of the Hamburg Camerata or in the Trio Lirico with Sophia Reuter and Franziska Pietsch, I always seek intensive interaction – and also with the audience. I try to pass on this search with the project Prelude Concerts. I organise the concert series, in which talented children can play together with renowned musicians, with my daughter Lir Vaginsky. It’s a win-win situation for the players and a huge joy for me.
There are three things that music needs for me: dedication, honesty, and the search for your own personal sound. This attitude connects me with Maki and Franziska and flows into the recordings of this album. While working together on Kodály, I had the feeling of absolute freedom in creating. Therefore, I try my best to do justice to all the colours and immense expression of the piece. It is the pure joy of musical communication. I was familiar with Liszt’s Piano Trio as a trio cellist, but this is the first time I am playing it myself. I am very grateful for this opportunity because it is a great piece!
