World on a String: Wheeling Symphony Cellist To Conclude Seven-Continent Odyssey
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WHEELING -- From playing beside penguins in Antarctica to performing for dignitaries in Africa, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Elisa Kohanski has put her bow to the string on six continents.
The musician's journey to play on all seven continents will culminate on Thursday with her trip to Australia and New Zealand, where she will give her final performance to wrap up her mission of playing around the world.
North America was the first continent checked off the list for the native Rhode Islander and lifelong strings player. Kohanski's journey to playing around the world began in earnest in seventh grade with a trip to London, England, for a New Year's Eve performance in Royal Albert Hall.
The cellist then again traveled to Europe during her undergraduate degree to play opera and symphonic concerts in the Castle Courtyard in Heidelberg, Germany.
"I spent the whole summer in Germany performing and traveling in sort of a wanderlust," Kohanski recalled. "I guess that planted the seed and gave me the travel bug."
After graduate school, Kohanski checked Asia off her list on a tour of China with the Mantovani Orchestra.
Kohanski's next stop was South America, where she was set to play at a musical festival in Fujiar, Chile, as part of the musical group Trio Nova Mundi. Before she could hit the stage in Chile, her parents invited her on a trip to Antarctica, which Kohanski "could not pass up."
The trip to Antarctica occurred "right before" the musical festival in Chile, so Kohanski brought the carbon fiber cello she planned to use for the festival performance. During the boat trip to the icy continent, Kohanski said the crew "really wanted" her to be able to play on the continent.
Before the boat reached Antarctica, Kohanski had the opportunity to place her endpin on an iceberg in the Arctic.
"The trip to Antarctica is a highlight because playing on an iceberg speaks for itself," Kohanski said. "I think without playing there, I probably would have never had this goal of playing in every continent because I would have thought, 'I'll never get to play in Antarctica.'"
Once the boat reached the continent, Kohanski gave two more performances.
"I played on a little island where the crew sort of Sherpa'd my cello across and said, 'Here's a good spot to play right by the water,'" Kohanski said. "I sat on a rock that penguins were all nesting on, but the wind was so loud that you literally couldn't hear my play when I was there physically. It was a great experience, and everyone on the ship was there, but it was pretty stressful for me because the wind was so overpowering."
Due to the weather conditions, Kohanski noted that the performance was not the "ideal situation," so during the last landing on the continent during the trip, she requested to play again for her parents and the crew.
"Just as we were about to leave, the crew found a rock on a beach where penguins were strolling by," Kohanski said. "It was lightly snowing, but it was so beautiful. I was just looking at the water, the penguins, and the different parts of the land as I played, and it was a very moving moment for me."
Africa is the only continent on which Kohanski believes her playing experience may top her concert for the penguins. Her three-week tour of the continent with Trio Nova Mundi included performances in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The most memorable story from her travels in the continent occurred during Kohanski's visit to Zimbabwe, where she met a 6-year-old girl named Emma who wanted to take cello lessons.
"This kid played for me, and she oozed music out of every pore in her body," Kohanski recalled. "She was the most beautiful example of someone born to play music. Her technique was terrible, but she just wanted it so badly."
During the hour and a half that Kohanski spent with the child and her mother, she described giving the child "as many technique tips" as she could and discussing different ways the young girl could be connected to a teacher.
Kohanski ended up recommending the child to Amy Fettig Macy, a cellist based in Pittsburgh who was teaching in Zimbabwe at the time.
"That was probably why this trip happened: I had to connect Amy with Emma," Kohanski said. "Emma began taking lessons from Amy. It was probably a six-hour drive between the two cities, but they figured something out."
The hour and a half Kohanski spent with Emma that day eventually blossomed into Emma's acceptance into The Juilliard School two weeks ago.
"It's such a heartwarming story that makes me feel like I did something good in this world," Kohanski said. "I made a difference with someone and there's nothing better than that."
The group then headed to Mozambique, where they performed for ambassadors and dignitaries and enjoyed a brunch with the poet laureate. The next day brought a much different audience as the group performed in a "very small outdoor venue," where the "chicken area was the green room."
"They had a piano outside, and we played on the dirt ground while all the kids from the township were there," Kohanski said. "They just kind of gathered around, and it was fascinating because everyone's reception of us across the board was just amazing."
Kohanski's travels will culminate in 22 Wheeling residents, including WSO musicians, heading with Kohanski to Australia and New Zealand. There, Kohanski will give a concert called "Travels with My Cello" and perform a recital in Sydney with the other musicians on the trip.
"We're all going to play a program in Sydney and have this amazing experience together," Kohanski said.
To celebrate her accomplishment, the WSO has commissioned a piece by composer Jonathan Kolm inspired by her travels. The seven-movement concerto will include a movement for every continent and premiere during the orchestra's season-final concert next May.
"What I'm most excited about is hearing how he conceptualizes music for each continent," Kolm said. "I made a little request that he have a little homage to Bach in the Antarctica movement since I played Bach there."
Kohanski will also commemorate her travels during a smaller chamber recital, "Milestones," held at 7 p.m. tonight at the Christ United Methodist Church in Wheeling. During the event, Kohanski will share stories from her travels and give a sneak peek at some of the composers featured in the WSO's forthcoming season.
The concert will also serve as a fundraiser for the Seven Continents project. There will be a $25 admission fee, and a small reception will follow the concert.
"The concert is going to be a good sort of send-off for both the beginning of the season and the trip," Kohanski added. "It's going to be a great time and a nice little break for me before we kick off our trip on Thursday."
Throughout her travels, Kohanski noted that one message rang true for her: "Music is a universal language."
"Anytime that I can play in public and it touches someone, I feel like I've made an impact," Kohanski said. "To have someone hear a piece that I play that brings joy to them or reminds them of something significant is important to me. The fact that I have had the opportunity to do that on every continent for all kinds of people makes me feel joyful and that my life has impacted others for the better."