Album Notes

It is one thing to play a musical instrument, and yet another to live that instrument. Gretchen Yanover has been living the cello since she was 10 years old. This passionate obsession has persisted and (to our delight) borne fruit.

Gretchen has played in the Northwest Sinfonietta since 1998, the premier professional chamber orchestra in the Pacific Northwest. She also freelances in various orchestras and ensembles such as the Boise Philharmonic, the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, and the Bellevue Philharmonic. Gretchen has played with many varied string quartets. Outside of the "classical" music realm, Gretchen performs steadily. She has played in KD Lang's orchestra and recorded with Built to Spill, Trwst, the Stares, and Tim Young. She spent a couple years performing and recording with the live drum & bass group, KJ Sawka.

Ms. Yanover now balances performing, teaching, and life at home with her daughter, born August 24, 2006. She teaches strings as well as other music classes at the Northwest School in Seattle and is the head of the music department. She has been bringing music to children in public and private schools since 1998 when she received her teaching certificate and a BA in music at the University of Washington.

Gretchen's first solo release titled Bow and Cello is a beautiful collection of twelve personal compositions and two composed by the late Michael Cava. Of her own compositions, many were born out of Saturday morning improvisations at Lighthouse Roasters cafe in Seattle, where she performed for several years. These pieces have been described as lyrically melodic wanderings over meditative ostinatos. Gretchen began those Saturday mornings with simply bow and cello (acoustic) performing classical pieces. After a time, she brought in her electric cello and a Line 6 loop sampler and began improvising sincere and soothing melodies over samples of cello-lines she created. These improvisations led her to record this lovely work where she further composed these pieces with her acoustic cello. Each track has its own personality and beauty. The full length of the CD is timed at 60 minutes, which lends wonderfully to a massage or meditation session.

Bow and Cello has been featured on Seattle’s “The Beat” radio show on 94.9 KUOW as well as the nationally syndicated “Echoes” radio show on NPR. The CD is currently enjoying a great deal of radio play on 102.1 KDFC in San Francisco. Bow and Cello was chosen as album of the year by the Celebrity Cafe.