Q&A with Sterling Elliott

2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant-winner Sterling Elliott has already appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s greatest: the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony and the Dallas Symphony, to name just a few. A recipient of the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence and a cellist who is in-demand as both a soloist and pedagogue, Elliott is only 24 years old—and this month, he makes his debut with us at Orchestra Hall.

Elliott is a seriously talented young musician, but make no mistake, he’s got a sense of humor—we chatted about his career, how his mom convinced him to become the family’s resident cellist, his current “hyper fixation” and more.

MinnOrch: Your siblings are violinists and you wanted to follow in their footsteps, but they convinced you to pick up the cello to complete the Elliott Family String Quartet. How did they convince you?

Elliott: My wonderful mom told me that cellists make more money than violinists. Three-year-old Sterling was, of course, convinced.

You've been performing all over the world—do you have any hot travel tips?

I’d say learning to cut my own hair has been the most crucial travel hack for me. It was so stressful to rely on random barbers in new cities and countries!

You've performed with many of the country's leading orchestras, and are set to debut (or have already debuted) with a handful more this season. How do you approach working with a new ensemble?

I try to keep an open mind about interpretive ideas, tempos, bowings, etc. Depending on the ensemble, conductor and acoustic space, many practiced elements will end up changing, sometimes quite drastically! But I love these unexpected elements, they certainly keep things fresh and exciting!

Your spring schedule has you playing some mainstays of the cello rep with orchestras all over the country—notably, Haydn's Concerto in C, the Dvořák Concerto and, of course, Rococo Variations (which you perform with us). Is there one that's a particular favorite? What do you love about these works?

My absolute favorite concerto has always been the Schumann Cello Concerto. That being said, the concerto repertoire for cellists is packed with so many masterpieces, falling in love with a concerto I’m currently performing becomes inevitable.

What's the best piece of advice you've received from a teacher?

My teacher Joel Krosnick has instilled in me the importance of prioritizing passion and love as the primary reason for doing anything, really. Any time I would bring a new idea or piece and attempt to explain my latest obsession, he would simply stop me and assure me that my love towards anything was all the reason I needed to do or play anything.

What's one thing most people don't know about having a career as a soloist?

Though a significant portion of my career is solo performances, I also spend a lot of my time as a chamber musician and teaching artist, especially in the summer. My family and I actually ran a summer festival back home in Virginia for 5 years! Currently I teach at the Sphinx Performance Academy at Juilliard, and it’s also common that I give masterclasses when I travel for solo performances. As for chamber, this year I begin my three-year residency at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, a dream-come-true for me!

Lightning Round

Favorite Food: Curry! (Japanese)
Favorite Recent Performance Destination: Hong Kong
Favorite Chamber Work to Perform: Ravel Piano Trio
A Recent Hyper Fixation: Becoming a Plant Daddy :)

You've got a day off—what are you doing?

In New York: Hosting a sight-reading party! Or probably testing the limits of my friendships while playing Catan.

In Virginia: Spending all day working on my car. Currently attempting to put the transmission back in my car, a two-man job that I will stubbornly figure out myself.

Finally—is it alright if we include this adorable video of the Sterling Family Quartet?

Of course!