In short
Michael Kaufman is a cellist scheduled to appear as soloist with the Pasadena Symphony and Pops on November 14, 2026. He will perform Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor on a program that also includes Simon's Fate Now Conquers and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. Beyond this listed appearance, no further biographical details are confirmed here.
What to listen for
Listeners coming to hear this concert will encounter Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, a work written in 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War, marked by a somber, searching opening statement from the cello that returns in various guises across its four connected movements. The concerto moves between hushed, inward passages and moments of restless energy, asking the soloist to shift quickly between a warm, singing tone and sharper, more agitated playing. Framing the concerto, the program opens with Carlos Simon's brief, dramatic Fate Now Conquers, inspired by a phrase Beethoven wrote in his notebooks, and closes with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, a work built on insistent rhythms and dance-like energy that Wagner once called "the apotheosis of the dance." Together the pieces trace a path from confrontation with fate to reflection to celebration.
Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed September 2026.