“Eldredge 'played like a dream'.” - News and Record
Allison and Krzysztof Penderecki
CELLISt & CONDUCTOR
Allison Yoshie Eldredge, Cellist & Conductor
Allison, an international concert cellist, has been heralded as “a cellist afraid of nothing” by the Chicago Sun Times, and the Chicago Tribune praised her as “a musician of remarkable gifts”. Allison was awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant and named “Young Artist of the Year” by Musical America. Allison gained international attention when she performed the Elgar Cello Concerto at the invitation of conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1991.
In 1995, Allison made her Carnegie Hall debut as a cello soloist playing alongside the Warsaw Sinfonia and late legendary Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki to a sold-out audience. Throughout their long association, Allison toured the U.S., Europe, and Israel with Penderecki at the baton, performing his Viola Concerto transcribed for cello and orchestra and his Concerto Grosso No. 1. For 3 Cellos as first cellist.
In 2022, Allison was appointed the 1st Artist-in-Residence at The Allen Center, an arts and cultural center in Newton, Massachusetts. At The Allen Center, she founded and directs Cherry Street Music “Classical with a Twist” - a concert series bridging diversity and social change with classical music.
As soloist, Allison has performed worldwide with the premiere orchestras of Europe and Asia including Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Ukraine, Japan, China, Poland, Canada, Uruguay, Scotland, Mexico; the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Moscow Virtuosi; the symphonies of Berlin, Montreal, Budapest, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Ukraine National State, Cyprus, Polish Radio and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, National State Orchestra of Mexico, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony and others. In Asia, she has appeared with the Osaka Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Yomiuri, Osaka Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony, New Osaka Philharmonic, and Tokyo Philharmonic.
In the U.S., Allison has been soloist with top orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops; the Symphonies of St. Louis, Chicago, New World, Richmond, Milwaukee, Miami, Virginia, New Jersey, Utah, Pasadena, San Diego, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Vermont, Rhode Island, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Rochester and Florida.
Allison has released critically-acclaimed solo studio albums with recording labels Denon Records, Denon Essentials, BMG, Pony Canyon Classics and Arizona University Records. She has been Artistic Director of Young Talent Chamber Music in Connecticut since 2014. Her teachers have included Harvey Shapiro, Yo-Yo Ma, Eleonore Schoenfeld, Joan Lunde, Felix Galimir, Ardyth Alton, and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Allison is the assistant conductor of the ME2 Orchestra.
Instagram @allison.eldredge.1740
“She belongs to "the creme de la creme" of cello talents. Her playing can be summarized in two words: Pure Passion.” - Het Noord Hollands Dagblad, Amsterdam
“Her tone is at once both deep and silky...Her sotto voce was so beautiful and her nuances were sensuous and enticing... It was an exquisite performance.” - Ongaku no Tomo, Japan
“Eldredge has a soaring sound....speak[ing] with fluency and passion... You won't go wrong with Eldredge.” - American Record Guide
