In his diary, Tchaikovsky calls Mozart a "Christ of music" and describes his music as "brimming with divine and untouchable beauty". "Variations on a Rococo Theme" for the cello and orchestra, the piece that you will perform in Bucharest, reflects Tchaikovsky's admiration towards the Classical composer. How do you perceive Mozart's influence in this piece?

It is a wonderful thing for us, cellists, as Mozart has never composed a concert for the cello. We have, of course, chamber music, but no solo piece. Thus, this is an opportunity to step into the Mozartian musical world, through Tchaikovsky's perspective. It's a very short piece, since only the theme represents that style in its entirety; the music changes step by step into something closer to Tchaikovsky's own style… we are straying away from the Classical style and sinking deeper into the Romantic one. After a few minutes, you find yourself in the great Russian composer's world. In a way, it'sa piece about metamorphosis, a piece that starts in the Classical Periodand falls rapidly into the Romantic world.

How do Rococo's lightness and elegance fit your own personality and taste?

We all have our moments of ease and unease, but when you step onto the stage as a performer, you ought to absorb the character of music, whichever that one may be. When the piece starts, I become this elegant and relaxed person. It doesn't matter who I am, but what music demands from me. You have to get into that state. You can prepare yourself before the concert, you can try getting into your character as a theatre actor might do. When I step onto the stage, I step into that state as well, into that feeling. It is better to not ponder a lot over the piece's development over time. You should keep in mind the main theme, the one present at the start… and then, you should just let the story lead your path, to transform you.

What are the challenges this piece brings forth?

First of all, there are many challenges technique-wise. Tchaikovsky wrote a piece of virtuosity. The most important - and most difficult - is that said lightness and elegance must be constantly preserved. This is the true challenge - to hide tribulations and maintain elegance, to perform "with a smile". Moreover, there is also the matter of how the piece is orchestrated - the ensemble does not perform in force, thus, everything you do as a cellist can be heard clearly. It's not like other concerts (for example, the Dvořák one), where the orchestra assists strongly… there are times whenyou can actually hide if you want. There is no hiding place here. You're like a solo ballerina on the stage, your sound is always above the orchestra. You are very exposed… and still, you need to preserve the elegance, in the midst of all technical difficulties you may encounter.

What version of the piece will you perform, Tchaikovsky's original one, or the one that has been edited by the German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, the one that Tchaikovsky dedicated it to?

I will perform the edited version, the one that I have learned together with my professor, the one that I have fallen for since I was a child. I have also practiced the original version, but I feel such an emotional pull towards the edited one that I always perform this one.

You are returning to Bucharest and, this time, you will step onto the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum…

I cannot wait to perform inside the hall. The last time I performed in Bucharest, it was in another concert space. The stage of the Athenaeum is iconic. I know it from so many images and clips… I have never been inside until now, but everyone tells me it is fantastic. I am very excited!

How do you see the collaboration with Leonard Slatkin?

For me, he is a legendary conductor. I have listened to many of his recordings, but we never met face-to-face. First time with the orchestra, first time with the conductor. I am looking forward to this experience!

You mentioned in a previous interview that Bach's music is often beside you; it's like therapy or meditation. What other composers make you feel the same way?

Schubert is very special to me. He represents "home". I have feeling of finding myself in his music. He is one of the composers that I often listened to as a child, since my parents love him. There was a lot Schubert in our house. Also, I feel that Schubert wrote most of his pieces in small rooms (excepting his Symphonies, of course). It is not only a feeling. It is a known thing that Schubert liked his music to be performed in chamber contexts, in the "schubertiades", as they were called. He would gather his friends, sit down at his piano and perform his music in someone's living room. Schubert imprints that familiarity onto you, he gives you that feeling of home. That is why I feel such a strong pull to his music.

Your debut album combines pieces by Schubert and Schumannwith Persian traditional music. In your recent album, you explore film music arrangements, where you put together an orchestra made up of many cellos, through multiple tape loops. At the same time, you included two compositions of your own. What is your take on music genres?

I try not to think a lot about music genres. I only do the things that I love. For example, in my first album… There is my love for Schubert - that I have already explained; I see Schumann as a continuation; and I chosePersian music, of course, because of my cultural roots. As for film music, I had a close relationship with it ever since I was a child. It was only a matter of time until I managed to make the arrangements and record them. I have been making film music arrangements since I was a teenager, and now I have finally found a professional platform where I can perform them. I have never thought upon the matter of whether they belong to different musical genres. I only try to play music that I love, music that I have been carrying with me for a long time. There are so many other things that I want to do. I only try to bring the highest performing level that I can achieve within these pieces.

It is clear that you enjoy trying new things. What is next?

I have just recorded Schumann's Concerto for the cello and orchestra. It will be released this year - another piece that has been beside me for a long time. Moreover, I have a studio recording of Dvořák'sConcerto for the cello and orchestra, which gave us time to work on details and to create an interpretative version, exactly as I have been picturing it. I am very excited. Next, I'm going to explore the pieces ofLuigi Boccherini, a Palestinian composer. I am playing the cello he used toplay - Antonio Stradivari "The London, ex Boccherini". Thus, I wish to record said music on the instrument that was his to begin with. I want to present it, to show the variety he put forth with the music he composed - sonatas, chamber music, solo pieces, everything…

You were the leader of the cello group from West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. You have also played together with the ensemble as a soloist. It was founded in 1999 and it got its inspiration from Daniel Barenboim and late Palestinian intellectual, Edward Said. West-Eastern Divan Orchestra represents a context where young musicians coming from various cultural backgrounds get to collaborate. They reunite through the universal language of music. How did taking part in this project impact you?

It was very, very special to me. It has changed my views on the entire region. I grew up in Austria, and so, I was in some kind of bubble, disconnected from the reality of that area. When I met all of these musicians coming from said areas, who lived there, when I heard their stories, understood their views - this experience broadened my horizons. It was very, very important on a human scale, but, at the same time, music-wise. Working together with maestro Barenboim was like exploring another dimension. I have learned so much about music. It was a combination between growing as a human being and bettering my musical skills, to which I am so grateful.

Where, do you think, lies the importance of such a project, especially in our times?

The idea is to show that peoplefrom a specific country do not represent the political world of said country. A person from Iran can perform together with another person from Israel in the same orchestra. On paper, that might seem impossible, since their politicians would not even exchange a word, they wouldn't even share the same room. We show that we do not condone this approach, we believe that dialogue is always the better choice. To present this, through the language of music, where dialogue is the essence - this is the main idea. It's about sharing. To create music on your own - this is not the objective, especially when we are talking about an orchestra. There is always room for dialogue. We do not believe in silencing a party, in the absence of communication.

From the position of a young musical phenomenon, turned into a rising star, later one of the most famous cellists at the moment, what does it mean to you "to make music"?

It is, naturally, my entire life… but the most important thing - music means communication. As I was saying earlier… it is entirely about dialogue; not only the dialogue between myself, the orchestra and the conductor, but the one between the musicians on stage and the audience. For me, it is very important for the public to be a part of the entire experience. They should not only listen, observe and leave. As you would visit, for example, the zoo. It is about interaction and establishing a connection with the audience, so that they feel as a part of the process. In the world of classical music, this is not always easily reachable. There are so many times when no one speaks, facilitates, or presents the pieces. And still, it is possible. If you actually want to bring this energy onto the stage, when you try to engulf the entire audience, to include them in the musical act, I believe that the audience can feel that. I always strive for it. This connection can be established without words. I think that this is what music is all about, after all: about sharing, about being a part of an exchange. Naturally, it is possible to create music on your own, but for me it would never be enough. For me, it is about sharing as much as you can - a story, emotion, a moment that will always remain alive in memory. This is the meaning of music, from my point of view.