Blaise Déjardin talks with WCRB's Ron Della Chiesa about the teachers who attracted him to come to Boston from France, what the audition process is like, and his second musical love, blues harmonica!
This post has been updated, as Déjardin began his tenure as BSO Principal Cellist with the final program of the 2017-2018 subscription season. Hear Déjardin describe the audition process and taking on his new role.
Hear the interview, recorded at Tanglewood in 2015:
Déjardin succeeds the legendary Jules Eskin, who was the BSO's Principal Cello for 52 years, from 1964 until his death in 2016, and he's only the 14th person to fill the position in the orchestra's 136-year history.
In an article published in the Boston Globe, Déjardin said, “For me, the most overwhelming thing about winning the job was not just that the committee chose me as a musician, but that they know me personally, and that I was respected enough by my peers. That personal aspect meant a lot to me.”
Déjardin, 33 years old, was born in Strasbourg, France, and came to the U.S. to study at the New England Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers include Philippe Muller, Laurence Lesser, and Bernard Greenhouse. Before joining the BSO in 2008, he was a founding member of the Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry.
Déjardin moved to his new position in the final program of the 2017-2018 season, which includes Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2 - which features an iconic solo for the Principal Cellist. He is also now a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
