This Monday, Essential Workers and Patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to Receive Private Virtual Concert by Cellist Gautier Capuçon as Gift from Anonymous Philanthropist

Concert Was Auctioned by Tarisio, Classeek and Capuçon to Raise Funds for Musicians Affected by COVID-19

Gautier Capuçon (photo: Martin Raphaël Martiq for Capuçon-Fondation Louis Vuitton)

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous philanthropist, at 11:30am on Monday (May 18), essential workers and patients at Manhattan’s NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital will receive a unique private virtual recital by award-winning cellist Gautier Capuçon. Purchased earlier this month at GiveBack, a special online charity auction to benefit musicians affected by COVID-19, the performance was offered by the cellist in collaboration with leading international auction house Tarisio and online platform Classeek. They imagined that the winning bidder and his or her invited guests would opt to enjoy the online concert while self-isolating at home. Instead, true to the altruistic spirit that inspired the auction itself, the anonymous buyer has chosen to give the gift of music to those on the frontline at the very epicenter of today’s global pandemic.

As Classic FM puts it, “Even among today’s stellar vintage of cellists, Gautier Capuçon is an amazing talent.” For NewYork-Presbyterian’s essential workers and patients, the virtual recital represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience Capuçon’s private performance of a specially tailored program of favorites by Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Rachmaninoff, Bloch, Édith Piaf and John Williams, before taking part in a Q&A session with the artist and socializing online. Available throughout the hospital, with additional streaming access provided to essential workers off-site, the concert will stream live in the superior sound and video of Classeek’s Virtual Showroom. All proceeds, including the cellist’s fee, will be donated to support artists affected by the crisis, helping to keep music alive during these unprecedented and challenging times.

Capuçon says:

“It’s a pleasure to be a part of such a worthwhile project. I was already delighted to have the chance to help my fellow musicians, so many of whom are struggling to make ends meet at the moment. And since I know now that I’ll be performing for doctors, caregivers and patients on the frontlines, I’m truly thrilled to be involved.”

Carlos Tome, Director and Head of Sales at Tarisio, the auction house behind the special benefit auction GiveBack, explains:

“Our winning bidder is a New Yorker himself. Wanting to benefit as many patients and first responders within the community as possible, he suggested donating the concert to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. We are moved to see that the generous circle of giving continues. It is very encouraging to see that good deeds inspire other good deeds.”

Catarina Amon, Founder and CEO of Classeek, comments:

“We are thrilled and honored that Classeek’s Virtual Showroom has a role in bringing this generously donated concert to essential workers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.”

About NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a world-class academic medical center committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. Based in New York City, it is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive hospitals and a leading provider of inpatient, ambulatory, and preventive care in all areas of medicine. With some 2,600 beds and more than 6,500 affiliated physicians and 20,000 employees, NewYork-Presbyterian sees more than two million visits annually, including close to 15,000 infant deliveries and more than 310,000 emergency department visits. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is ranked #1 in the New York metropolitan area by U.S. News and World Report and has repeatedly been named to the Honor Roll of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

About Gautier Capuçon

Gautier Capuçon is a true 21st-century ambassador for the cello. Performing internationally with many of the world’s foremost conductors and instrumentalists, he is also the founder and leader of the “Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle” at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. A multiple award winner, he is acclaimed for his expressive musicianship, exuberant virtuosity, and for the deep sonority of his 1701 Matteo Goffriller cello “L’Ambassadeur.” As the San Francisco Chronicle put it, “It’s the rare performer who can bring such ease and refinement to this music, while still giving everything he plays a sense of dramatic urgency.”

Committed to exploring and expanding the cello repertoire, Capuçon performs an extensive array of works each season and regularly premieres new commissions. His current projects include collaborations with Danny Elfman, Lera Auerbach and Thierry Escaich.

Recording exclusively for Erato (Warner Classics), Capuçon has won multiple awards and holds an extensive discography. His latest album – Chopin and Franck sonatas with Yuja Wang – was recorded live on tour last season. He has also been featured on video in live performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Gustavo Dudamel (Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1) and with Lisa Batiashvili, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann (Brahms’s Concerto for Violin and Cello). A household name in his native France, Capuçon also appears on screen and online in shows such as Prodiges, Now Hear This, and The Artist Academy, and is a guest presenter on Radio Classique in the show Les carnets de Gautier Capuçon.

Born in Chambéry, Capuçon began playing the cello at the age of five. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris with Philippe Muller and Annie Cochet-Zakine, and later with Heinrich Schiff in Vienna. Now, he performs with world-leading orchestras, and works with conductors such as Semyon Bychkov, Myung-Whun Chung, Stéphane Denève, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Philippe Jordan, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gianandrea Noseda and Michael Tilson-Thomas.

About Classeek

“Discover, follow and support talent globally”: this is Classeek’s mission. Classeek unites a passion for classical music with deep-seated industry knowledge and cutting-edge technology. Founded in 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to provide state-of-the-art technological tools to classical professionals worldwide, the company is headquartered at the Innovation Park of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. ClasseekAnalytics enables decision-making with superior data analytics. Specially developed by the company, it allows unique data analysis modeling and tracks trends through market data, helping artists and agents find new opportunities and make career decisions.

About Tarisio

Tarisio is the leading international auction house for fine string instruments and bows. Launched in 1999, Tarisio revolutionized the market by combining first-class expertise, the efficiency of online bidding, and a firm commitment to ethics and professionalism. The house’s goal is to make buying and selling instruments increasingly accessible for musicians, patrons, dealers and collectors. With offices in New York and London, Tarisio conducts six auctions per year of fine instruments and bows, and offers year-round bespoke private sales of high-value items, selling more than 3,000 fine instruments and bows annually to a truly global market. Tarisio’s special GiveBack auction on May 1 raised money for more than 119 musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.