Jacobs School honors cellists in memory of deceased performer

Cellists who have made their mark on the international and American cello communities will have their time to shine Sunday as the Eva Janzer Memorial Cello Center celebrates its 28th anniversary.\nThe concert will take place 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at Recital Hall, located in Merrill Hall. The center, which belongs to the American Cello Council, was founded 28 years ago by Jacobs School of Music Distinguished Professor Janos Starker.\nEva Janzer was Starker's first cello student in Budapest, Hungary. Janzer later died of breast cancer after coming to Bloomington to teach.\n"When she died, I wanted to make sure that her memory would remain by awarding cellists who have had a full life," Starker said.\nJanzer was born in India and studied and earned a Diploma of Virtuosity at the Academy of Music in Budapest, according to the center's Web site. She taught at the University of Hanover in Germany before coming to the United States to teach at the School of Music in 1972. She died in 1978.\n"She really was a wonderful person," said Emilio Colón, the cello center's executive vice president. "Through her memory, we are able to contribute to people who have lived their lives and who have achieved a certain status."\nThe center annually honors two outstanding talents in the international cello scene. An honoree must be at least 60 years of age and a "who's who" in the cello community, Starker said. Honorees may be both cello performers and people who have had a \nprofound effect on the community, like cello-makers. Female honorees receive the Grande Dame du violoncelle award, while the male honorees are named the Chevalier du violoncelle.\nThis year's honorees are renowned musicians László Mesö and Lynn Harrell.\nMesö heads the violoncello department at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and is president of the Hungarian Cello Society, according to the Eva Janzer Memorial Cello Center Web site.\nHarrell is celebrated as an important influence in the international cello community, having played in New York, London, Israel, Australia, China and Japan, according to the center's Web site. Harrell attended the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music and currently teaches at Rice University's Sherpherd School of Music. \nThe celebration begins at 10 a.m. with an opening announcement and introduction by Starker with a master class held by the honorees from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in room 405 of the Music Addition. At 4 p.m., the Indiana Cello Ensemble will play a concert in honor of this year's award winners, followed by the awards presentation. At 5 p.m., there will be a reception on the mezzanine level of the Musical Arts Center. \n"People come from all over the world and the United States to honor these people and have a good time," Starker said.\nAamil Sulaiman, sophomore and cello performance major, will be performing in the concert portion of the event.\n"The concert ends up being the cello majors putting together one piece," Sulaiman said. This year's concert is a piece from the "Barber of Seville" arranged by Colón. \n"(The celebration) promotes friendship among cellists," Starker said "We eat, drink, make merry and like each other." \nThe center also hosts a memorial concert each year. This year's concert was Feb. 16 and included pieces from composers Handel, Haydn and Offenbach.