The Cellist Who Won't Sit Still

You wont want to miss this one. Next Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 PM, Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block and a world-class faculty ensemble take the stage at First Presbyterian Church for the first of two mainstage concerts presented by the Vero Beach International Music Festival.

Here's what makes Block unusual: he plays cello standing up. He invented a patented strap that lets him walk, move, and dance while performing, and was the first standing cellist ever to perform at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times called it "half dance, half dare." He's also Yo-Yo Ma's go-to arranger, with Ma performing Block's work on five continents. Yo-Yo Ma called him the "ideal musician of the 21st century."

Every July, top-tier string musicians from around the country and the world gather in Vero Beach for a week of workshops and collaboration. This year's faculty includes Block's wife, US National Scottish fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel, alongside Natalie Haas, Kimber Ludiker, Lauren Rioux, and more. The concerts they produce together are unlike anything else on the Treasure Coast.

Tickets are $25. There's a second mainstage show Friday, July 10, and the culminating string camp concert Saturday, July 11 is free and open to the public.

First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Blvd. Showtime 7:30 PM. Tickets at verobeachinternationalmusicfestival.com.

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