KEY POINTS:
Swiss cellist Gautier Capucon has the flashing good looks of a matinee idol. He is a pin-up among the young music-student set and the NZSO, which brings him to town this weekend, has been swamped with requests for his poster.
At 26, he has won prestigious competitions but he still owes much to the friendship of pianist Martha Argerich.
He waxes wistfully over memories of their playing Mendelssohn. "When she plays, time stops because it's so beautiful," he says. "She is so full of energy in concerts that she takes your hands and leads you to places you've never been."
Capucon and his violinist brother Renaud display the same dynamic in their new recording of Schubert Trios with pianist Frank Braley. He is pleased the disc has secured a New Zealand release and says the recording fulfils a childhood ambition.
"We were listening to those trios all the time when we were kids, in the version by Stern, Rose and Istomin. I used to say that one day, when we were older, we would be playing them."
Capucon seems most keen to reveal the special bond between himself and his 1701 Gofriller cello, a relationship that began in December 2000. "This is a very wild cello, in looks as well as sound. It took me a while to get to know his personality.
"In fact, I have only known him properly for the last two years. When I got the instrument, it was like a painter who might have 10 colours and then, one day, is given a thousand. It's such a wonderful gift but might take a lifetime to explore them."
But music for Capucon is more than this ongoing relationship with his Gofriller. "Being on stage is something I really need. It is such a gift being able to share this intimate moment with musical partners as well as the public.
"When you first step on stage you can immediately feel the presence of the audience. Sometimes the connection is there right away, but sometimes it takes a bit more time."
No two performances are alike and he has played Friday night's Dvorak Concerto many times since he first tackled it in Christchurch's 1999 Adam International Cello Competition, when he carried off second prize.
"Even if you play a piece a hundred times, it is always changing and evolving. The Dvorak is big and powerful, but not powerful in a bad way; more majestic, heroic."
The 1957 William Walton Concerto on Saturday's bill "is a beautiful piece and almost never performed", he laments. "I feel it's like telling a story. It's as if the music is saying something, almost like a symphonic poem."
The fact that it was written for the great Russian cellist Piatigorsky means I am treated to another story, courtesy of Piatigorsky's daughter, whom Capucon met in Washington.
"I asked her so many questions and she told me how her father was always so stressed before performances," he says.
"If there was a big mirror in the dressing-room, he would look at it and say, 'You're going to be amazing tonight!' Then, after 10 seconds, he'd reply to the mirror, 'I don't trust you'."
Tonight, a number of young cellists will put their trust in Capucon when he gives a masterclass in Hamilton, a rare chance for the public to experience the charm and elegance that is Gautier Capucon - the perfect preview for his three concert appearances.
PERFORMANCE
What: NZSO, with Gautier Capucon
Where and when: Founders Theatre, Hamilton, tomorrow 8pm Auckland Town Hall, Fri 6.30pm & Sat 8pm
And: Gautier Capucon Masterclass, WEL Energy Academy, Waikato University, tonight 7pm
On disc: Schubert Piano Trios (Virgin Classics 365476, through EMI)
