The six Cello Suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are among the composer’s most recognizable works. The Suites have come to universally symbolize the cello itself and have also been transcribed often; an autograph manuscript of a version of the Suite No. 5 for lute by Bach himself is the earliest verifiable such instance.

Beethoven was born in the northern German city of Bonn. It was there that he received his early musical training. In 1787, at the age of 16, he took an 18-day journey to Vienna, the great musical capital. The exact purpose of this trip is not known, but in addition to playing concerts as a pianist and soaking in the atmosphere, he probably hoped to meet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At that time Mozart was the most prominent musician in Vienna

Carlos Salzedo, who composed Chanson dans la Nuit, is widely credited as the father of modern, virtuoso harp playing. His innovations expanded the expressive range of the instrument. Salzedo’s influential career included 4 years as principal harpist of the Metropolitan Opera under Arturo Toscanini as well as solo appearances with many prominent American Orchestras.

Frederic Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60 Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) composed his Barcarolle Op. 60 in 1845-46 in Nohant, France, about 180 miles south of Paris. The work was written at the country home of the novelist Aurore Dudevant, more commonly known as George Sand, with whom Chopin was romantically involved from 1838.

James Friskin: Elegy James Friskin was born in Glasgow and studied in London at the Royal College of Music...Although he began to compose early, his career as a composer effectively ended in 1914 when he accepted an invitation to emigrate to the United States to be a founding faculty member at the Institute of Musical Arts in New York, which eventually became The Juilliard School...He is credited with having given the first performance in the United States of Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1925.