My Suite for Solo Cello captures—to a degree—much of what I think a cello is and can do. Not in a highly technical sense, but in a lyrical, melodic way. (If you want highly technical, listen to Kabalevsky’s 5 Studies for Solo Cello. Yikes!)

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My starting point was closer to Bach’s idea of the cello as a complete musical voice on its own—carrying melody, harmony and rhythm all at once—though I tend to change chords and themes more often within a single movement. The Suite was also written on the cello, reflecting my own skill level: actually, parts of it are almost beyond my ability to play—or at least to play “at tempo.” Which brings me to Michael Ronstadt…

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Ruby and I met Michael in Cincinnati in 2017, when we shared a bill with him and his band, The Beasts of Joy. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch and followed each other’s careers. When Suite for Solo Cello was ready to be recorded, Michael’s name came to us immediately. His experience as both composer and performer, across such a wide range of musical styles, made him eminently suited to bring the Suite to life.

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And so he did.

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Michael performed and recorded the Suite himself. I mixed and mastered it.

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Suki

September, 2026