Description

ADAPTATION

Steuart Pincombe, cello

Solo cello from the 1680s to the 1860s

📍 Marienkirche

📅 June 17, 2026 — 7:00 PM

Presented by Fredericksburg Music Festival & School

Step into the remarkable sonic world of the cello before the modern era in an intimate evening with acclaimed American cellist Steuart Pincombe.

ADAPTATION traces nearly two centuries of music for solo cello — from the late seventeenth century through the Romantic era — performed entirely without the modern endpin. Though the cello itself changed only subtly during this period, the bow underwent dramatic transformation, reshaping both technique and musical expression. Throughout the evening, Pincombe performs using bows from three distinct historical periods, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear how evolving instruments shaped the music itself.

The program features virtuosic and deeply expressive works by Gabrielli, degli Antoni, Galli, Bach, Dall’Abaco, the Duport brothers, Piatti, and a duo by Barrière — illuminating the extraordinary adaptability and expressive range of the cello across generations of European musical life.

Celebrated for his imaginative artistry and stylistic versatility, Steuart Pincombe has appeared at leading venues throughout North America and Europe including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Concertgebouw Brugge, RADIALSYSTEM V Berlin, Bozar Brussels, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the Kauffman Center. Critics have praised him as “a gorgeous player with perfect intonation, imaginative phrasing” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) and “a superb soloist” (The Strad Magazine).

Following the concert, guests are invited to remain and enjoy the historic atmosphere of Marienkirche in the heart of Fredericksburg.

An evening of history, virtuosity, experimentation, and storytelling through one of music’s most human voices.

ADAPTATION: Steuart Pincombe, cello
solo cello from the 1680s to the 1860s

Works by degli Antoni, Gabrielli, Galli, Bach, Barriere (duo), Dall’Abaco, the Duport brothers, and Piatti.

Features virtuosic pieces from the earliest to latest music for solo cello without the endpin. While the cello changed very little during that time, the bow changed drastically, as did the music. Cellist Steuart Pincombe will use bows from three different periods throughout the program to demonstrate this development.