Spokane String Quartet welcomes familiar friend, guest cellist Michal Palzewicz

Guest cellist Michal Palzewicz is joining the Spokane String Quartet this weekend, and in doing so he’ll be reuniting with an old friend.

It’s safe to say that music has been a life-long venture for 50-year-old Palzewicz. Growing up in Warsaw, Poland, he took up the cello at just 8 years of age. Although, not necessarily by choice.

Even before he took up the standing string instrument, Palzewicz was learning the piano and wanted to study the instrument at an elementary school for music. Upon arrival, he was more than directly informed that there was a lack of cellists in the program.

“They pretty much gave me an ultimatum,” Palzewicz said. “They said, ‘We can take you, but your hands are big and perfect for the cello, and we really need cellists!’ ”

Palzewicz soon found himself connecting with the instrument and the classical music he became accustomed to playing before eventually exploring chamber music.

It was at this music-based elementary school that Palzewicz first met Mateusz Wolski, the quartet’s first violinist and concertmaster of the Spokane Symphony.

Even at such a young age, it didn’t take long for the two to connect musically, and by the second grade they had formed a trio (along with Palzewicz’s sister) that had recordings on Polish radio. The two remained friends through their initial years of education but were somewhat separated after graduating high school. That is, until the opportunity of a lifetime arose.

Into high school, Palzewicz founded a group of his own, the Elsner String Quartet. The group and Palzewicz won multiple awards, and after attending the Warsaw Conservatory of Music they were offered full scholarships to continue their musical education at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

At the time, the quartet was going through a lineup change and they needed a replacement on the violin. Palzewicz called up Wolski to take the spot and join them in New York.

“The rest is history,” Palzewicz said.

Currently, Palzewicz teaches the cello at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. He also performs as a soloist as well as with multiple groups, including his own trio. He has been involved with many productions held by Ashland’s own Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Despite both of their demanding schedules, Palzewicz and Wolski still try to find the time to reconnect. Because of their seemingly constantly filled calendars, Palzewicz has never been able to find the time to take up Wolski’s invitation to join the Spokane String Quartet as a guest performer, that is, until now.

On Sunday, he’ll be joining the quartet at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox for Alexander Glazunov’s String Quintet in A Major, Op. 39.

Given that quintet pieces featuring two cellos aren’t exactly the most common (especially in comparison to those with two violas), this is the first time Palzewicz has ever played the piece. Although, he’s quickly learned to love it.

“As I’ve been working through the piece, I love its romantic lyricism and it has a lot of beautiful moodiness, but also has a lot of sweetness and feel-good harmonies and melodies,” Palzewicz said. “It’s like rich chocolate,” he said with a laugh.

Although this is the only piece Palzewicz will be joining the quartet for, the repertoire also includes Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 108, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3.

“I love collaborating with friends, because then it’s not just about the work,” Palzewicz said. “Creating art with friends is something that’s really special, and that’s wonderful to see on stage.”