South Carolina cellist pours whole heart into debut album

By Bradley Fuller

Published September 9, 2022 at 7:49 PM EDT

Claire Bryant’s technical prowess and deeply affecting expressivity as a soloist are on full display in Whole Heart. But the performer and UofSC professor is quick to point out that her first album is as much a collaborative effort as it is a personal labor of love.

In this Sonatas & Soundscapes interview that aired Friday, September 9^th, host Bradley Fuller speaks with cellist Claire Bryant about her debut album Whole Heart. The native South Carolinian and University of SC cello professor shares about the origins of the project, the special meaning a few of the album’s tracks have for her, the importance of collaboration with fellow musicians and community members, and how she chose Lee Correctional Institution as the site of her first album release show.

Three recordings from Whole Heart are also featured alongside the conversation: Andrea Casarrubios’ SEVEN, Adam Schoenberg’s Ayudame, and the first movement of Jessie Montgomery’s Duo for Violin and Cello, “Meander.”

Whole Heart was released September 9th on the Bright Shiny Things label. More information about Claire Bryant can be found on her website.