Over a period of ten years, my producer Alan Williams and I explored recording the cello in all its forms: solo cello, cello duo, cello quartet and finally the grandeur of cello orchestra. Every note heard on the CD was played by me so it is "all Stephanie Winters' cello all the time." The mood of the CD is "beautiful sadness". In Portuguese the word is saudade—a sadness that makes one want to live again. In a spiritual sense this recording is my "blues". I do not use that word to describe a musical style, but to suggest the transcendent honesty which musical expression enables. Through the Storm (Expanded Version) has two additional tracks, "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel and "Magnolia" by Richie Havens. These songs are played as instrumentals, yet their narrative character comes through. The repertoire includes jazz (Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman), classical (Bela Bartok), Gospel (Thomas A. Dorsey), Bulgarian and Portuguese folk music and several original compositions. By including these two songs by masters of the pop idiom there is a new lightness that enhances the listening flow.

This recording is best experienced for the first time lying down on a wonderfully comfortable couch with headphones. It's a one hour vacation from the taxing noise of the world.

Bio: Consistently pushing the limits of her classical training, cellist Stephanie Winters has recorded and toured the United States and the world as musical pioneer bringing the strength and richness of her instrument to different musical forms, styles and settings. Her solo debut, Through the Storm (Expanded Version), scheduled for re-release in February 2009, captures her signature style of elegance and heartfelt expression that has created the ineffable connection between her music and her audiences for years. Stephanie has performed and recorded with Richie Havens, Enya, Dar Williams, Corrine Bailey Rae, Anne Murray, Paula Cole, The O'Jays and many others.

For more than fifteen years Stephanie played an average of a hundred performances a year in the United States and around the world. She now draws on the insights into group dynamics, communication and creativity which she gained over the course of her musical career to create programs that help others enhance their leadership, decision making, creativity and communication skills. As a group facilitator, consultant and key-note speaker, Stephanie integrates musical performance into workshops and presentations in settings that range from the corporate conference to the kindergarten classroom. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Creative Education Foundation are among the institutions with which she is working.

Beginning her cello studies in the fourth grade in the Levittown, Long Island, public school music program Stephanie went on to graduate from The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and to earn a B.F.A in cello performance from Purchase College. She also holds an M.A. in Music Education from Columbia University. Stephanie lives in New York City.

Interview

Given the advancements in recording technology, it's incredible what musicians can accomplish these days. Through the Storm is a great example of the good that can come out of these relatively new artistic freedoms. For example, on this album there are places where you are able to replicate an orchestra by yourself without the end result sounding like the audio equivalent of a patchwork quilt. Could you talk about some of the measures you took to preserve the feel of a live ensemble on this album?

The first layer of a multi-track piece was always the hardest to record. How does a bird get the first twig to balance when she is building a nest? When I began a tune, often all I heard was the click—the metronome in my headphones. Sometimes the music needed to push and pull rhythmically, so it was not possible to have the rhythmic guide of the click (metronome). It's much harder to create the layers without that rhythmic guide.

Alan and I composed the title track for cello orchestra and solo cello. It is about 14 minutes long and has 33 layers of cello. Just do the math—it's a lot of tracking. The piece was created in our imagination and came into existence in the recording studio. Methodically, I played each part. The early layers sounded ridiculous—these disembodied bass notes. But as the layers piled up, the music began to emerge. Alan devoted hours and hours of mixing to achieve a natural effect. When we first heard the final result we were thrilled that we had achieved what we set out to do.

What were some of the unique challenges you faced while recording these tracks?

The first summer Alan and I worked together we spent seven weeks in the studio tracking between four and six hours a day. We had planned to finish that summer but in essence had barely begun. The scope of what we had set out to do was far more time consuming and challenging than we planned. Also, Alan started graduate school that fall and I went on tour and then moved to another city. It became very difficult for us to find time to work together in the studio, but we did. It took 10 years to complete the CD rather than seven weeks.

I understand "Xenia" was composed by your brother, James Winters, and then arranged by you and your producer Alan Williams. What was the inspiration for this piece? Did you approach your brother with any kind of a concept, melodic or otherwise?

My brother sent me five rough musical sketches. Alan and I sat down with a keyboard and cello and played them through and chose "Xenia". Its moodiness and song-like structure made it a good fit for the album.

My brother's daughter is named Xenia. Recently he told me the story behind her name. Xenia was a Russian woman who unexpectedly became a widow at age 26, became deeply spiritual and eventually a Saint. The Russian flavor and sense of drama comes through in my brother's composition. Coincidentally, "Precious Lord" was written by Thomas A. Dorsey when he was grief stricken after losing his wife and son in childbirth while he was out of town playing a gig. I think the theme here is not death but music as a way of moving us through hard times. If we access our heart's wisdom we can transform our suffering. Sometimes it takes pain to move us to a deeper place.

In addition to the originals on this album, you have some gorgeous arrangements of compositions by Carlos Paredes, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Bela Bartok, Peter Gabriel, and Richie Havens. You've also tackled a Bulgarian choral piece and a gospel tune made famous by Mahalia Jackson. How did you come to select music from these diverse sources?

Alan and I waded through a lot of music to come up with these selections. I heard Mahalia Jackon's "Precious Lord" on the car radio on my way home from the studio on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I called Alan from the car and told him I wanted to play "Precious Lord" the way Mahalia Jackson had sung it. He loved the idea and wrote a stunning arrangement. It is my favorite track on the record.

I heard that Mahalia Jackson, who was at the March on Washington, called out to Martin Luther King, Jr. as he was speaking, "Tell them about the dream, Martin." That was when King went into the defining section of that speech. Martin Luther King's final words to Mahalia were his request that she sing "Precious Lord" at his funeral. And she did.

In your bio, you mention that, aside from being a professional musician, you also create programs to help others develop leadership and communication skills. Could you elaborate on this aspect of your career? How has your experience with music aided you in these endeavors?

Our world is in financial and ecological crisis. We need to bring our best creative problem-solving to these challenges. Artists have had a lot of practice in creative problem-solving. The best art is technically strong and soulful. Artists understand that the head and the heart must work together to have an effective outcome. Music can be an effective facilitation tool in business—it brings people into their hearts, and with this balance of head and heart leaders can access inspired solutions.

Could you talk briefly about your involvement with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Creative Education Foundation?

For Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist School Series, I co-created a program with Paul Guzzone called "Bach to the Future". We interest kids in classical music by way of pop culture. We also demonstrate how throughout history technology has changed the way we create and listen to music.

Currently I am working with pianist and leadership consultant Michael Jones for "Leading Artfully," a leadership journey and retreat that is based on Michael's work. Michael draws parallels between leadership and the creative process. The Creative Education Foundation is making this workshop available to the public for the first time.

You also studied kinesiology, The Alexander technique and other wholistic disciplines. How has this close attention to the body helped you as a musician and performer?

Your head can fool you, but your body tells the truth. Body awareness can help any kind of decision making. It's always there for us to tap into. We've all heard it countless times: "follow your gut" or "follow your heart". One needs body awareness to identify those cues. Also, playing the cello and carrying it around is intensely physical. I believe sound body mechanics will facilitate a longer playing career.

After years of professional musicianship, what have you learned about the business side of the arts that you believe less experienced musicians should know?

If you are true to yourself, then the journey, no matter where it leads you, will have inherent reward. This isn't to say it's not great to have a crowd cheering for you in some enormous hall, but that can't be the ultimate reason we do it. Part of the reality of being a professional is the necessity of playing music that is in service to someone else's vision. You may or may not love that music, but you must do the best job you can. So it's vital to also play music that has meaning for you, music that is yours.

Could you share some of the musical projects and events you have planned for the future?

I am in a program that trains teaching artists to work with autistic children. I am also interested in creating interactive performing arts programs for business professionals that focus on leadership, creativity, and sustainability.