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ISTANBUL\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrandez believes the digital era is breaking classical music\u2019s image as an elite domain, opening the doors of symphonies and concert halls to a new audience.<\/p>\n \u201cClassical music was never meant to be mainstream,\u201d Ferrandez told Anadolu, noting that while its audience may be smaller, it is deeply passionate.<\/p>\n The award-winning musician said digital platforms have opened the concert hall to new generations. \u201cI think it\u2019s reaching many, many new people. I see a lot of young people coming to the concerts now, and they tell me it\u2019s because they saw something on Instagram and they wanted to see me live,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ferrandez, who has performed with leading orchestras across the globe, said he feels this is \u201cthe easiest time ever\u201d to explore classical music or learn an instrument.<\/p>\n Before, you had to go to a store to find a record, \u201cbut now, if you are interested in something, you can just find it in a second,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Spanish artist also highlighted the diversity within classical music.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can perhaps not like Bach or Mozart, but you love Tchaikovsky or Mendelssohn. So, if you don\u2019t like one thing, it doesn\u2019t mean that you don\u2019t like classical music, because the range is huge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n – From family roots to global stages<\/p>\n Born in Madrid to a family of musicians, Ferrandez said his path was clear from the start.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth my parents are musicians, and my father is a cellist as well. So, when I was four years old, they just gave me a cello. I don\u2019t even remember, and it was always something that I loved.\u201d<\/p>\n Now one of the leading cellists of his generation and a prizewinner at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, he is widely hailed as a \u201cnew cello genius.\u201d<\/p>\n Among his musical heroes, Ferrandez cited cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and pianist Martha Argerich, whom he called \u201can absolute god, not only of piano, but of music in general.\u201d<\/p>\n The 33-year-old artist, known for his expressive style and emotional depth, said his success stems from a blend of \u201ctalent, hard work and luck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to have all these three to become successful in any field, I believe,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are many people who are very talented and work very hard, but they are not lucky. And any of these three, if you don\u2019t have one of them, then it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferrandez continues to perform worldwide, including frequent visits to T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve come to T\u00fcrkiye four or five times \u2026 It always feels very easy for me to make music here with the musicians. I think they\u2019re very passionate as well, which is something I relate to,\u201d he said, recalling his earlier tour with the Borusan Philharmonic Orchestra.<\/p>\n He described Turkish audiences as \u201cparticularly excited.\u201d \u201cI think they\u2019re very happy to come to live concerts \u2026 They really show love to the performer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also expressed fondness for visiting Ankara and Bodrum, a popular resort town in southwestern T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n – Four souls on stage<\/p>\n At Ferrandez\u2019s recent Istanbul concert, one could feel the interplay between the musician and the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra \u2013 one of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s leading private ensembles, uniting musicians from 23 countries.<\/p>\n Watching Ferrandez perform, solo or with the orchestra, reveals the organic connection he shares with his instrument. His movements and breathing rise and fall with the music itself, as if the cello were an extension of his body.<\/p>\n When he pauses, his attention shifts to the orchestra, almost embracing the sound with his instrument before resuming. The experience in the hall seems to involve four \u201csouls\u201d \u2013 the orchestra, Ferrandez, the audience and his cello \u2013 each contributing to a shared musical journey.<\/p>\n Ferrandez became the first Spanish cellist to be loaned a Stradivarius cello, a rare, historic instrument crafted by the Italian Stradivari family in 1696, called Lord Aylesford, previously owned by legendary cellist Janos Starker and played by another great, Gregor Piatigorsky.<\/p>\n As he continues a busy concert schedule across Europe and the US, Ferrandez remains grateful for a life devoted to music.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very thankful that I\u2019m living my dream \u2013 to travel all around the world and play concerts, and that people want to listen to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI always wanted to do it and it obviously comes with a lot of effort. So, to see it fulfilled like this, it makes me very, very proud.\u201d<\/p>\n