Johannes Moser

Cellist

These days I tend to play an encore with the whole cello section after a concerto, such as Pablo Casals’s Song of the Birds or the second movement of Grieg’s Holberg Suite arranged for six cellos. Often a concerto is more like a symphony with a solo part, so rather than pushing the rest of the orchestra aside in the encore, it’s nice to be more inclusive.

Encore choices may have changed in recent years as the role of the soloist is changing. There’s no longer that singular, star cult. Instead, the soloist is a kind of ambassador between the orchestra and the public. The encore becomes an opportunity to make a statement about how you view your role in that context.