The Unique Connection Between Musician and Instrument

Constant Wonder

When she was growing up, Dr. Kate Kennedy dreamed of becoming a professional cellist. After a devastating injury at music school, this dream was cut short. However, in recent years, Kennedy has reclaimed her identity as a cellist. She set out across Europe to investigate how cellists connect to their instruments. On her journey, she learned about the story of Pál Hermann—a composer and cello virtuoso who was killed in the Holocaust. After learning about his story, Kate was determined to find his long-lost cello to restore this precious instrument—the soul of Pál Hermann—to his daughter, Corrie, now in her mid-90s. Guest: Dr. Kate Kennedy, writer, cellist and broadcaster, and author of Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound Audio of Sam Lucas playing Pál Hermann's Cello Concerto at Wigmore Hall used with permission from Kate Kennedy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3I18yVuCEY&t=2s Audio of Kate Kennedy performing Bach's Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor used with permission from the Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum and Kate Kennedy Audio of Deirdre Bencsik playing the "bee cello" used with permission from Professor Martin Bencsik and the Bee Cello Project