advocating the work of living artists
April Guthrie, a Kansas City native, holds a Master's Degree in multi-focus cello
performance from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA in cello performance
and environmental studies at Illinois Wesleyan University. Her work directly with
composers includes--Louis Andriessen ("La voce"), Muhal Richard Abrams, Antoine
Bonnet, Jürg Frey, Vinny Golia, Eva-Maria Houben, Joan LaBarbara, Libby Larsen, Mario
Lavista, Radu Malfatti, Stephen L. Mosko, Michael Pisaro, David Rosenboom, James
Tenney, Wadada Leo Smith, Christian Wolff, and John Zorn. She has studied cello with
Dr. Nina Gordon, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, and Rohan de Saram.
In March of 2006 April performed in the North American premiere of Greek
composer George Aperghis'
"Sextuor: L'origine des espèces." In May of 2006, Ms.
Guthrie organized a retrospective concert of the work of American composer Earle
Brown with friends and colleagues of the late Mr. Brown performing. This concert--in
collaboration with The Earle Brown Foundation--included a publication with writings by
Michael Pisaro, Christian Wolff, Joan LaBarbara, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Dorothy
Stone, Art Jarvinen and many others. Guthrie’s musical style is influenced by studies
with the renowned Javanese composer Djoko Walujo WP--with whom she studies
rebab and performs in the Kyai Dorodasih Gamelan on both cello and Javanese
gamelan instruments.
She recently completed an artist's residency (with violist Cassia Streb of
Guthrie & Streb,
filmmaker Madison Brookshire, and sound artist Michael Pisaro) at the
Hammer Museum in Los Angeles,
California. The Hammer Museum's Artist Residency Program
was initiated with funding from the Nimoy Foundation and is supported through a
significant grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Her recent concerts include a tour
with
Moira Smiley & VOCO;
Spiritualized;
Seawolf; and with guitarist
Miroslav Tadic and actor
Rade Serbedzija.
As a private cello teacher she enjoys teaching all ages with a focus on technique, traditional
repertoire, composition, and creativity. She recently began teaching actress Deanne Bray for
the television show "Heroes." During this time with "Heroes" she also worked with composers
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Wendy & Lisa).
She currently plays on a 1923 Dante Baldoni (Buenos Aires) cello, and a Miguel Huipe (Paracho) bow
(of the guitar luthier Huipe family).