Eugene Friesen

Professor
Affiliated Departments
Strings
Faculty Bio E-Mail
efriesen@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-2155
Personal Websites
Eugene Friesen's website

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Career Highlights
  • Cellist
  • Leader of solo show Cello Man
  • Member of the Paul Winter Consort and Trio Globo
  • Performances with Betty Buckley, Howard Levy, Toots Thielemans, Glen Velez, Paul Winter, and others
  • Recordings include Arms Around You, Carnival of Souls, New Friend, The Song of Rivers, and Trio Globo
  • Specializes in helping cellists develop classical, improvisatory, and rhythmic technique
Awards
  • 1995 Grammy Award winner with the Paul Winter Consort
Education
  • Alumnus, Yale School of Music
In Their Own Words

"String players have a reputation for having a lousy sense of rhythm. But the players I have met at Berklee are different because they love rhythm and are looking for a way to express that."

"They come here because they love playing rock, jazz, or Celtic music. The orchestra expands their rhythmic palette by exposing them to odd meters and the discipline for playing in a large ensemble. Rather than relating to a drummer, guitarist, or piano player, they have to broaden their listening to be part of a large organism that can be 50 feet across, from one side of the stage to the other. That requires a different kind of rhythmic sense and will help with their employability if they can do it well. I am hoping that our students will be able to play in a variety of situations from an orchestra to a studio session to a solo with total spontaneity. There is a lot of ground for us to cover, but it is a great time to be doing it."

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