Cello Fury

Artist Information

Biography

A cello rock powerhouse featuring three cellists and a drummer, Cello Fury's original music combines the emotive and symphonic sounds of the cello with driving rock beats to create a cinematic, progressive rock sound. A rarity in the music world, Cello Fury appeals to a diverse audience throughout the US and abroad, performing in venues ranging from concert halls to rock clubs. Continually developing their own unique style of cello rock music, cellists Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers unleash vitality and rhythmic drive in their music and dare to venture past classical expectations. The band's collective experiences have allowed them to perform on radio and television, in rock clubs, concert halls, and music festivals throughout the United States, performing for audiences as large as 67,000 throughout 23 states and abroad. The band's sophomore album of original music, "Symphony of Shadows", was released in May 2013. Cello Fury proudly uses Thomastik-Infeld Strings.

Past notable shows and awards include entertaining a crowd of 60,000 during the half time show at Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers/Baltimore Ravens football game in December of 2009, receiving rave reviews from perhaps their most eclectic audience to date, and performing three sold-out shows at Pittsburgh's Byham Theater on New Year's Eve 2011. In July 2012, Cello Fury was voted "Best (and Coolest) Local String Players" by Pittsburgh Magazine. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chose Cello Fury as "Most Fun Band" in a theater production in 2012. Cello Fury was featured on the cover of the indie music publication, Vents Magazine, in April 2011, was featured on the cover of the Pittsburgh City Paper's "City Guide" in July 2010, and was chosen as one of Skope Magazine's "Artists to Watch" in February 2011. Cello Fury has performed at music festivals such as SXSW and Musikfest.

Cello Fury has collaborated with many other musicians and artists across genres. The band has backed local and national artists such as B. E. Taylor, Scott Blasey of The Clarks, Tift Merritt, Bill Deasy, Joy Ike and Boca Chica, and has appeared on soundtracks for indie films and albums. Collaborating as multi-disciplinary artists, Cello Fury's original music was featured live in three full-length ballets with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet and also in Texture Contemporary Ballet's production, "Blur". The band's style of rock and classical fusion has become a favorite among dance choreographers in the US and Germany. Cello Fury has worked with the theater company, Bricolage Productions, for their “Midnight Radio” show as featured musical guests. The ensemble premiered the opera "La Bisbetica Domata" by Efrain Amaya in Italy in August 2010, which featured Cello Fury on stage as solo instrumentalists, allowing the band to also perform solo concerts throughout Italy. Cello Fury premiered and recorded two classical works written especially for their ensemble which are featured on the album, "Other Sun", by composer Nancy Galbraith.

In addition to an active performance and touring schedule, the band focuses on inspiring young musicians and giving back to the community. Cello Fury is on the roster for the "Gateway to the Arts" educational outreach program, performing for thousands of young people in western Pennsylvania each year. They recently joined the rosters for "Young Audiences of Rochester" in upstate New York and "Class Act Arts" in the Maryland/DC area, presenting school programs throughout those states. Each summer, Cello Fury leads a rock strings camp for aspiring musicians. Cello Fury worked with hundreds of students through the Pittsburgh Public School's “Summer Dreamers” camp in the summer of 2011.

Email the band for booking and press info: info@cellofury.com

More information about the band may be found by visiting the following websites:
Main Website: www.cellofury.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cellofury
YouTube: www.youtube.com/cellofury
EPK: www.sonicbids.com/cellofury
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cellofury

Press Quotes:

"Yo-Yo Ma, you have met your match. Whether plucking or sawing, the Cello Fury quartet can seriously rock out...Trim and longhaired, they play with head-bobbing gusto — and their harmonies form the soundtrack to your most feverish dreams." (Pittsburgh Magazine, Best of the 'Burgh, July 2012)

"The searing power of Cello Fury’s music must be experienced live - where the indescribable movement in the air is as tangible as the fervent sway of the cellists’ long locks as their fingers dance among the four strings." (Indie Music Examiner by Cassandra Quinn, February 25, 2011)

"From concerts to recitals to informal engagements, Cello Fury emerged as a badass force, one which in 2009 performed for 60,000 sports fans as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens game half-time entertainment show at Heinz Field." (CultureMap Houston by Joel Luks, July 30, 2012)

"Cello Fury is not your grandmother’s quartet...The music reaches deep into the souls of the audience and compels either movement or enraptured attention; demanding and pushing with each note and phrase." (Mystery Tricycle, April 17, 2011)

"Cello Fury achieves a modern rock sound that has metal in its lineage, while achieving a level of technical perfection that is surprising." (Wildy's World, August 9, 2011)

"The alchemy of an ensemble, which effortlessly fuses two contrary genres of music together, can be appreciated only if it is able to reach an eclectic audience. Fortunately, Cello Fury has been able to accomplish that effort by performing for small audiences in intimate spaces...and for crowds of over 60,000."

"[Cello Fury] supersede[s] passive entertainment and play[s] the same stimulating role that the best visual arts do...Cello Fury inspired a lot of smiles and confounded passersby who would never have contemplated a match-up of three cellos and a drum set." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Mary Thomas, June 13, 2012)

Performance Venues:

Rock Venues: 31st Street Pub (Pittsburgh, PA), Barrington Coffeehouse (Barrington, NJ), Bean & Leaf (New London, CT), Branded Saloon (Brooklyn, NY), The Brick (Kansas City, MO), Cafe degli Artisti (Citta della Pieve, Italy), Club Café (Pittsburgh, PA), Club Diesel (Pittsburgh, PA), Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club (Kansas City, MO), Elbo Room (Chicago, IL), The Fire (Philadelphia, PA), Frontier Cafe (Brunswick, ME), Garfield Artworks (Pittsburgh, PA), Hard Rock Cafe (Pittsburgh, PA), Hartwood Acres Amphitheater (Allison Park, PA), Heinz Field for Pittsburgh Steelers Halftime Show (Pittsburgh, PA), Hi-Ho Lounge (New Orleans, LA), Labyrinth Press Co. (Jamestown, NY), Llywelyn's Pub (Overland Park, KS), The Loft (Lansing, MI), Market Square (Houston, TX), Millcreek Tavern (Philadelphia, PA), Mockingbird Cafe (Bay St. Louis, MS), MoJo's (Jamestown, NY), Moonlight on the Mountain (Birmingham, AL), Mr. Small’s Theatre (Millvale, PA), National Underground (Nashville, TN), Peabody’s Down Under (Cleveland, OH), Preservation Pub (Knoxville, TN), The Purple Fiddle (Thomas, WV), Radio Radio (Indianapolis, IN), Record Bar (Kansas City, MO), Rehoboth Beach Bandstand (Rehoboth Beach, DE), The Riot Room (Kansas City, MO), Saddle Ridge (Pittsburgh PA), Shadow Lounge (Pittsburgh, PA), Sidewalk Cafe (New York, NY), The Smiling Moose (Pittsburgh, PA), Soundpony (Tulsa, OK), SPACE Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), Thirsty Armadillo (Ft. Worth, TX), Town Tavern (Pittsburgh, PA), Vintage Vinyl (St. Louis, MO), Weasel Boy Brewery (Zanesville, OH), Winchester Music Hall (Cleveland, OH), Windsor Hall (Cumberland, MD)

Festivals: First Night (Pittsburgh, PA), GA/GI Festival (Pittsburgh, PA), Ingenuity Festival (Cleveland, OH), Mayfair (Allentown, PA), Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA), Paper City Music Festival (Chillicothe, OH), Somerfest (Somerset, PA), Three Rivers Arts Festival (Pittsburgh, PA), Unity Music Festival (Warfordsburg, PA), SXSW 2013 (Austin, TX)

Colleges and Universities: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA), Chatham Univerisity (Pittsburgh, PA), Clarion University (Clarion, PA), Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH), Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA), Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA), Grove City College (Grove City, PA), Messiah College (Grantham, PA), Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), Penn State University Beaver (Beaver, PA), Penn State University Erie (Erie, PA), Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA), University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), University of Pittsburgh Greensburg (Greensburg, PA)

Theaters and Concert Halls: Alumni Concert Hall (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA), Byham Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA), Carnegie Music Hall (Pittsburgh, PA), Community Arts Center (Elkins, WV), Crawford Center (Emlenton, PA), David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Pittsburgh, PA), Heinz Hall (Pittsburgh, PA), Kelly-Strayhorn Theater (Pittsburgh, PA), Kenan Center (Lockport, NY), Kresge Recital Hall (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA), Laurel Mountain Concert Series (Kingwood, WV), O’Reilly Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA)

Arts and Non-Traditional Venues: American Eagle Headquarters (Pittsburgh, PA), Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA), Artist Image Resources (Pittsburgh PA), CAPA School for the Performing Arts (Pittsburgh, PA), Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main (Pittsburgh, PA), Children’s Museum (Pittsburgh, PA), Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" (Mill Run, PA), Fox Chapel Country Club (Pittsburgh, PA), Grier School Gala (Tyrone, PA), LeMont Restaurant (Pittsburgh, PA), Light-Up Night (Pittsburgh, PA), The Mattress Factory (Pittsburgh, PA), Morgan Arts Council (Berkeley Springs, WV), Nemacolin Woodlands (Farmington, PA), Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference (Pittsburgh, PA), Pittsburgh Public Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA), Pittsburgh Symphony Gala (Pittsburgh, PA), Pittsburgh Zoo (Pittsburgh, PA), The Priory (Pittsburgh, PA), Sioux City Conservatory of Music (Sioux City, IA), Third St. Art Gallery (Carnegie, PA), Three Rivers Regatta (Pittsburgh, PA)

TV and Radio: KDKA Television and Radio (Pittsburgh, PA), WQED Television and Radio (Pittsburgh, PA), Fox 6 WBRC (Birmingham, AL)

Instrumentation

Nicole Myers - Cello
Ben Muñoz - Cello
Simon Cummings - Cello
David Throckmorton - Drums

Discography

"Cello Fury", self-titled album, released on February 23, 2011
"Symphony of Shadows", released in May 2013

Official Website

http://www.cellofury.com

Links

• Facebook
• Cello Fury Website
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Cello Fury's YouTube channel

Audio

• The Fury
  Listen  
• Tundra
  Listen  
• Never Done
  Listen  
• Revolution: I. Under Cover Of Night
  Listen  
• Revolution: II. The Attack
  Listen  
• Revolution: III. Victorious
  Listen  
• Pathos
  Listen  
• Turmoil
  Listen  
• Going
  Listen  
• Symphony Of Shadows: V
  Listen  

Video

Against All Odds

Infinity Rises

Photo Gallery

Press

• Head banging strings: Cello Fury combines classical cello & hardcore rock stardom [+ Show ]
  

  Is there a cellist out there who started playing the string instrument with visions of rock stardom?...Is there a cellist out there who started playing the string instrument with visions of rock stardom? Most likely not. It's with genteel melodies like Camille Saint-Saëns' The Swan from Le carnaval des animaux and the prelude from Bach's Suite for Unaccompanied Cello in G Major that many are first wooed to grab a bow.
  
  Here comes Cello Fury, a cello threesome-plus-drums troupe that found a path to heavy metal, punk rock and head banging grooves. The quartet is slated to make its Houston debut at Market Square Park on Tuesday at 8 p.m. followed by a set at Notsuoh at 10:30 p.m.
  
  Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers met while they were music students refining their classical abilities under the tutelage of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra players at Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University. It was after a random school gig during which they were asked to play some cover tunes that the idea to experiment with popular styles materialized, though neither had training in this type of music. Drummer David Throckmorton, aka Throck, layers jazz, hip hop and vicious rhythms.
  
  From concerts to recitals to informal engagements, Cello Fury emerged as a badass force, one which in 2009 performed for 60,000 sports fans as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens game half-time entertainment show at Heinz Field.
  
  Who knew cello and football could mix?
  
  "I heard a statistic that it's harder to land a job as a classical musician than it is to find employment as a professional football athlete," Myers tells CultureMap during a phone interview. When she was asked if she longs for a traditional chamber music setup, she explains: "We found a niche, we are successful and we are thrilled to be pursuing this genre of music."
  
  Their classical training has served them well, Myers says. Technical feats on the cello can only be mastered through rigorous study. The group isn't shy about calling on what they learned in school to dazzle listeners with virtuosic riffs.
  
  Music education at the college level in the mid to late '90s was in the midst of radical change. Conservatories were beginning to complement tried-and-true performance curriculum with electives that surveyed trends in the business of arts and classes that explored creativity. Out of that environment, Cello Fury developed its signature sound, one which melds tonal harmonies with driving beats and hypnotizing melodies — akin Hollywood film soundtracks.
  
  As the musicians started to compose original music, they made a commitment to pursue a career in show biz. Cummings, who authors many of the group's tunes, wasn't a composition major. He enrolled in composition classes to dabble in this side interest, something he had been toying with through high school.
  
  "The music itself is accessible to classical ears," Cummings explains. "The melodies are very tonal, just like you would find in a classical piece. Using the lower, more gritty end of the cello's register, I add a grungy, edgy bass."
  
  
  Writing for an ensemble with three identical instruments is tricky when devising ways to affix variety and textural changes. Muñoz, who also pens the ensemble's songs, exploits the instrument's innate tonal range and tessitura qualities — the low octaves are growly, the middle is similar to the human voice and the extreme high notes are powerful and intense.
  
  "One thing that sets us apart from typical rock bands is our use of different sounds and how we apply dynamics (volume)," Muñoz says. "All these elements allow us not to have one sound across all songs. When you hear us play different tracks, you'll know it's us, although our songs don't all sound the same."
  
  It's during rehearsals that many of the details are finalized; there's some improvisation between the notes. Studio time often feels like a jam session when the drums are added, Muñoz says.
  
  "This isn't a classical music concert," he asserts when asked to describe what Houston audiences should expect at a Cello Fury musicale. "It's a visual show. We play standing up, we move around the stage, we head bang, we 'tear' up the cello — and the crowd gets into it.
  
  "Anyone who has any sort of notions about the cello, let's just say they are going to be very, very surprised."
  

• "Best of the 'Burgh 2012"--Pittsburgh Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  2012 Best of the 'Burgh Awards: "Best (and Coolest) Local Strings Players: Cello Fury" Yo-Yo ...2012 Best of the 'Burgh Awards:
  
  "Best (and Coolest) Local Strings Players: Cello Fury"
  
  Yo-Yo Ma, you have met your match. Whether plucking or sawing, the Cello Fury quartet can seriously rock out. The band showcases the talents of three classically trained cellists (Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers) and a single percussionist (Dave Throckmorton). Trim and longhaired, they play with head-bobbing gusto — and their harmonies form the soundtrack to your most feverish dreams. What’s most remarkable is that they have no “normal” concerts; each public performance is completely different. They collaborate with dance groups or appear in unlikely locations like Fallingwater — they’ve even played during halftime at a Steelers-Ravens game. Cello Fury appeals to everyone. — R.I.
  
  

• Fury is Coming (magazine cover and interview) [+ Show ]
  

  Where does the name Cello Fury come from? We chose our name because it is an accurate representat...Where does the name Cello Fury come from?
  
  We chose our name because it is an accurate representation of our sound. Since our band does not have your typical guitar/bass/vocals/drums instrumentation, we didn’t want to come up with an ambiguous phrase to represent our sound, but rather a name that gives a direct connotation to what we bring to the table.
  
  How did Cello Fury begin? Did Apocalyptica influence your band?
  
  We started playing together while in college studying the cello as a classical instrument. Apocalyptica certainly influenced us. We are big fans, and they are the forerunners of cello rock. As much as we are inspired by them, we also strive to achieve our own unique sound, so that people can say, “that sounds like Cello Fury”. In the same way that bands with the same instrumentation can sound vastly different from each other, not all bands that feature the cello have to sound the same. It's really cool how typically “classical” instruments can morph into other musical genres and change people's view of what the instrument can do.
  
  Who are your music influences?
  
  Simon: Some of my biggest influences are actually not other rock bands, but rather film score composers. Three of my favorites are Hans Zimmer, James Newton-Howard and Thomas Newman. The overall sound of our music is almost more cinematic as opposed to straight verse-chorus-bridge pop music, and I think a lot of that comes from our love of film scores, and the great composers working in that field now.
  
  Ben: I am really influenced by the melodic command of composers like Dvorak and Borodin, while my rock aspects come from metal bands like Deftones and Tool.
  
  What are the methods you use in composing your music?
  
  Simon and Ben are the composers in the band. Our classical and rock backgrounds fuel our creative process. Since we all grew up reading and learning music from traditional classical scores, the writing process begins there. Once the music is laid out in the same way a classical symphony or a string quartet is written, we learn the music and bring it to life as a rock band would. We've also started to use more improvisation when we perform.
  
  What has been the funniest moment you guys have been or took part?
  
  While on tour in Italy this summer, we struggled to communicate with the audience, since none of us speak Italian. Ben, who is a fluent Spanish speaker, was elected as the best possible candidate to talk to the crowds. He actually invented a language we now refer to as “Spatalian”. We definitely got some laughs, but I think they appreciated our attempts speak their language.
  
  Situation question: Some evil cello players are controlling the minds of everyone in the world. What would you guys do?
  
  We would fight back with our rocking music!
  
  Do you have a tour lined up?
  
  We are currently planning our summer tour right now, in additional to the educational outreach projects we lead for kids.
  
  Do you guys feel you are moving in the right direction?
  
  We absolutely feel we are moving in the right direction. We're following our passion and sharing that journey with others. Producing our new album was a labor of love, and it is our goal now to share it with as many people as we can.

• Cello Fury: Albums You Should Hear [+ Show ]
  

  I was at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last Friday for their Hot Jam when I discovered Cello Fury. I w...I was at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last Friday for their Hot Jam when I discovered Cello Fury. I wasn’t in the room when they started to play, but their infectious sound quickly drew my attention away from the molten glass being shaped into a vase (no mean feat, I can assure you). Being a classically trained violinist I first thought that the cellos being played were electric since the sound was so smooth; there was no change of tonal quality in the higher registers and very little auditory evidence of bow changes or string changes.
  
  Turns out this smoothness is due in small part to the minimal electric attachments to the cellos (for musical balance with the drum kit), but mostly to the impressive skill of the musicians. Through this combination of slight electronic modification and skill Cello Fury has obtained the smooth singing quality of a higher pitched instrument (think a violin or viola) mixed with the inherent solid depth of tone that cellos possess, to create a sound that simultaneously soars through the upper atmosphere and roots deep into your bones. This juxtaposition between depth and movement is really lovely both in person and on the CD.
  
  But more importantly, Cello Fury is not your grandmother’s quartet. There is not a single Vivaldi, Mozart, or Beethoven lick to be had, and they are unlikely to be playing at a pretentious outdoor country wedding whose guest list comprises only those who make 7 figures a year. Not because their music is not worth the five figure appearance fee undoubtedly paid to those sorts of musicians, but because their music demands attention. It is not music which will flit unconsciously in the background whilst guests sip on champagne and nibble hor d’oeuvres. It won’t sit peacefully and allow someone else the glory and spoils of attention. The music reaches deep into the souls of the audience and compels either movement or enraptured attention; demanding and pushing with each note and phrase.
  
  As a live show, the group is impressive. They have such fun when they play and this rapport is clearly communicated with the audience. They are also just as good (if not better) in person as on their CD. Some bands disappoint live, but I’m happy to report that Cello Fury is not one of them. In fact, I enjoyed their live show slightly better than the CD because they are true entertainers. Their passion for music comes through with every body movement that they do onstage, and some of that is necessarily lost on CD tracks which aren’t accompanied by visual representation. I was simultaneously impressed and amused by the headbanging; impressed because not a note was out of place amongst the gyrations of the skull, and amused because, well, there are three cellists headbanging to their music. You don’t see that every day. (Imagine if the cello section of your favorite philharmonic started headbanging like Megadeth without missing a beat. Somewhat comical)
  
  This sort of musical style is a bit more popular currently in Europe, with Escala (an entirely electric string quartet) becoming finalists in Britain’s Got Talent. However they mainly do “covers” (tough to really say covers since the music was all originally classical and the composers have been dead for ages) whereas Cello Fury writes their own music. Another skilled band is Bond who claims to be the “original electric string quartet”; their style is a bit more pop/dance, similar to Escala.
  
  This disc is a great classy alternative to the Billboard 100 hits to play at adventurous parties to get people moving on the dance floor. Even slightly less energetic events would undoubtedly benefit from an infusion of Fury.
  
  The Good: Sometimes mixtures of styles lead to mediocre outputs. Cello Fury’s melding of rock and classical takes the best of both worlds and outputs something even better.
  
  The Bad: Tough to say. The CD is all done in a very specific style although tempo and mood vary quite a bit, to the point where I personally find large differences in songs. However it does take more than one cursory listen to extract those quirks, so this CD isn’t for those who listen once and then never come back.
  
  The Verdict: Live or on CD, this is a group worth listening to.

• Pittsburgh's Cello Fury unleashes their new album [+ Show ]
  

  Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of co...Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of conventional rock; blending new instruments and genres into the folds of what has now become a melting pot of musical influences. One of the most recent additions to this myriad of rock facets is the cello. In Pittsburgh, the talented dexterous styling of Cello Fury leads the forefront for this novel adaptation.
  
  During their formative years, Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers studied classical cello together at Carnegie Mellon University. Much to the chagrin of their instructors, they decided to take the road less traveled with the bowed instrument and mingle their formal education with their affection for rock music.
  
  Soon after, Cummings and Muñoz began constructing original compositions wherein the classical beauty of the cello was imbued with the perceptible dynamism of progressive rock. For the last two years, they have collaborated with drummer David Throckmorton to produce the emotive sounds of Cello Fury and on Feb. 23 they released their new, eponymous album.
  
  The alchemy of an ensemble that can effortlessly meld two contrary genres of music together, can only be truly appreciated if it is able to reach an eclectic audience. Fortunately, Cello Fury has been able to do just that in the last two years by performing for small audiences of 50 in an intimate space like Club Café on the South Side to a crowd of over 60,000 at Heinz Field.
  
  “The cello has a way of being accepted in many different settings. Depending on the size of the venue, there can be a different connection to the audience and level of intimacy. We try to bridge the gap between classical audiences and rock show crowds by playing in varied places,” said Nicole.
  
  Their latest work is a 10-track album of engrossing melodies coupled with climatic explosions, which startle the senses and illuminate the broad spectrum of emotions cultivated by the brute force of rock and the ethereal elegance of classical music. The third track, “Anarchy,” begins with a melancholy quality that weighs on the listener’s earnest vulnerabilities before shifting into an abrupt labyrinth of complex rhythms and thunderous percussion. For each listener, the internalized melodic experience is unique, which is exactly what Cello Fury hopes to accomplish.
  
  “We want our audience to have an experience in sound, and leave the show relating to the music on a deeper level. The music would ideally speak for itself, and the fact that it is being performed with three cellos and drums would be only a part of our musical identity,” said Nicole.
  
  The searing power of Cello Fury’s music must be experienced live - where the indescribable movement in air is as tangible as the fervent sway of each of the cellists’ trademark long locks as their fingers dance among the four strings. On March 18 the band will be performing at The Red Ring on Forbes Avenue at 7 p.m. For further information on Cello Fury visit their website at www.cellofury.com or on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cellofury.
  
  Continue reading on Examiner.com: Pittsburgh's Cello Fury unleashes their new album - Pittsburgh Indie Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/indie-music-in-pittsburgh/pittsburgh-s-cello-fury-unleashes-their-new-album#ixzz1EzWObvwL

• "Most Fun Band": Pittsburgh Post Gazette Performers of the Year (Theater) [+ Show ]
  

  "Most Fun Band": Pittsburgh Post Gazette Performers of the Year (Theater) "Bands: Small -- Doug L..."Most Fun Band": Pittsburgh Post Gazette Performers of the Year (Theater)
  
  "Bands: Small -- Doug Levine's trio for "Sam Bendrix." Somewhat larger -- Andres Cladera's ensemble for "Maria de Buenos Aires," with Benjamin Bogart soloing on the bandoneon. Very big -- the CLO orchestra, featured onstage in "Love Changes Everything." Most fun -- Cello Fury (a trio) in "Zombie Apocalypse" (Bricolage)."
  
  Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Theater Critic

• Cello Fury's Hot Flurry (June 2011) [+ Show ]
  

  Cello Fury's Hot Flurry (June 2011) If you haven’t noticed, cello rock quartet Cello Fury is hot...Cello Fury's Hot Flurry (June 2011)
  
  If you haven’t noticed, cello rock quartet Cello Fury is hot right now…sometimes quite literally. While we all have experienced the weather extremes recently, this June has been a flurry of activity for them, from the release of their video for “Infinity Rises” which got 1000+ YouTube views in its first week, to performances in a variety of venues locally. We had an opportunity to catch up with them at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on a very humid Thursday afternoon.
  
  “Extreme heat is always difficult to deal with,” said cellist and spokeswoman Nicole Myers. “The cellos do not react very well. When it is 92 degrees at a lunch time show like at the Arts Festival, the cello strings drop in pitch as it gets hotter. Re-tuning is a constant battle!” “Physically, it's more demanding for us to perform under those circumstances, but performing outdoors shows are always worth it,” Myers continued. “The crowd was great!”
  
  Cello Fury excels at meeting demands. In the three years that the unique rock and classical music fusion group has been rostered with Gateway, they have performed nearly sixty programs in schools throughout Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette, Somerset, Mercer, and Cambria counties – making them one of the most popular performing artists we work with. Constantly evolving, each year they have returned with an updated playlist and a re-tuned program – keeping it fresh for themselves and the K-12 students they reach.
  
  They kick-started this month with a performance of HEART: Function Version Emotion, a collaboration with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, dedicated to patients with pulmonary hypertension and advanced heart disease and benefiting Family House's Family Assistance Fund. In addition to two shows at the arts festival in Katz Plaza, Cello Fury also made an appearance on the Saturday Light Brigade and will be closing out the month with a 5-day Rock Camp at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh.
  
  Continuing their commitment to “inspiring young musicians and giving back to the community,” Cello Fury will round out the summer with Cello Fury’s Rockin' Strings Camp, at Phillips K-5 as part of Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Dreamers Academy. They are one of five individual and artistic teams of artists who are participating in Summer Dreamers as representatives of Gateway to the Arts.
  
  Cello Fury released a self-titled album this past February and celebrated the release with a show at the Rex Theater on Pittsburgh’s South Side on April 22.
  
  Check out their new video by T. Larkin Productions and be sure to follow them on Facebook or CelloFury.com to stay updated on additional happenings, including the upcoming release of two more videos.
  
  Information about Cello Fury's programs available to schools can be found at gatewaytothearts.org.
  
  
  
  

• Album Spotlight: Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  By: Cassandra Quinn -ThePittsburghScene.com Published Friday 25th of February 2011, 07:02 AM Cello...By: Cassandra Quinn -ThePittsburghScene.com
  Published Friday 25th of February 2011, 07:02 AM
  Cello Fury released their self-titled album on February 23rd - reaching audiences from the Byham to Heinz Field and every small bar in-between with their brand of rock/classical music.
  Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of conventional rock; blending new instruments and genres into the folds of what has now become a melting pot of musical influences. One of the most recent additions to this myriad of rock facets is the cello. In Pittsburgh, the talented dexterous styling of Cello Fury leads the forefront for this novel adaptation.
  
  During their formative years, Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers studied classical cello together at Carnegie Mellon University. Much to the chagrin of their instructors, they decided to take the road less traveled with the bowed instrument and mingle their formal education with their affection for rock music.
  
  Soon after, Cummings and Muñoz began constructing original compositions wherein the classical beauty of the cello was imbued with the perceptible dynamism of progressive rock. For the last two years, they have collaborated with drummer David Throckmorton to produce the emotive sounds of Cello Fury and on Feb. 23 they released their new, eponymous album.
  
  The alchemy of an ensemble that can effortlessly meld two contrary genres of music can only be truly appreciated if it is able to reach an eclectic audience. Fortunately, Cello Fury has been able to do just that in the last two years by performing for a small audience of 50 in an intimate space like Club Café in the South Side to a crowd of 60,000 at Heinz Field.
  
  “The cello has a way of being accepted in many different settings. Depending on the size of the venue, there can be a different connection to the audience and level of intimacy. We try to bridge the gap between classical audiences and rock show crowds by playing in varied places,” said Nicole.
  
  Their latest work is a 10-track album of engrossing melodies coupled with climatic explosions, which startle the senses and illuminate the broad spectrum of emotions cultivated by the brute force of rock and the ethereal elegance of classical music. The third track, “Anarchy,” begins with a melancholy quality that weighs on the listener’s earnest vulnerabilities before shifting into an abrupt labyrinth of complex rhythms and thunderous percussion. For each listener, the internalized melodic experience is unique, which is exactly what Cello Fury hopes to accomplish.
  
  “We want our audience to have an experience in sound, and leave the show relating to the music on a deeper level. The music would ideally speak for itself, and the fact that it is being performed with three cellos and drums would be only a part of our musical identity,” said Nicole.
  
  The searing power of Cello Fury’s music must be experienced live - where the indescribable movement in air is as tangible as the fervent sway of each of the cellists’ trademark long locks as their fingers dance among the four strings. On March 18 the band will be performing at The Red Ring on Forbes Avenue at 7 p.m.
  
  For further information on Cello Fury visit their website at www.cellofury.com or on their Facebook page at facebook.com/cellofury
  
  You can find more from Cassandra Quinn at the Pittsburgh Indie Music Examiner

• "Arts Fest Continues to Evolve and Improve" (June 2012) [+ Show ]
  

  "The [Pittsburgh Cultural] trust's strength is the performative arts, and I'm particularly attracted..."The [Pittsburgh Cultural] trust's strength is the performative arts, and I'm particularly attracted to those that supersede passive entertainment and play the same stimulating role that the best visual arts do. The Carolina Chocolate Drops exemplified diversity, multiculturalism, craft and history in ways traditional and contemporary; Cello Fury inspired a lot of smiles and confounded passersby who would never have contemplated a match-up of three cellos and a drum set; and Squonk Opera delivered a surreal dream to an appreciative crowd on the back of a flatbed truck."
  
  
  
  Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/art-architecture/arts-festival-continues-to-evolve-and-improve-640083/#ixzz1z6OWBdYd

• Skope Magazine's "Artists to Watch", February 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Cello Fury www.sonicbids.com/cellofury Skope: How did you react when you knew you are now A2W sele...Cello Fury
  www.sonicbids.com/cellofury
  Skope: How did you react when you knew you are now A2W selected on Skope?
  Cello Fury: We were thrilled! Thanks, Skope, for the opportunity.
  Skope: What are two goals that you want to accomplish musically in 2011?
  Cello Fury: We want to continue to collaborate with other artists, both in the rock world and across artistic disciplines. We feel that it’s not only really interesting on a musical level, but it showcases a different side of each group to the audience. Collaboration is so essential in the music world today. A second goal would be to tour much more outside of our home area of Pittsburgh, PA. Once we release our new self-titled album on February 23, we can’t wait hit the road and bring our music to more people!
  Skope: If you had to choose one thing that your band must improve on what would that be and how will you do it?
  Cello Fury: We’d love to bring more theatrical elements to our shows to really give our audience a unique experience. Some ways to achieve this could be to add more multimedia (lights, visual/audio effects), as well as by performing our songs differently, not sounding identical to the album. This really creates excitement for an audience, when they hear songs they recognize, but with a twist.
  Skope: What are two other non-mainstream musicians or bands that you are listening to these days & respect?
  Cello Fury: The Brooklyn-based band, Pearl & The Beard, is just fabulous. They are a folk/americana trio that features the cello prominently in their music, along with amazing vocals and a myriad of other instruments. Flannigan’s Right Hook is another great band. They’re from Kansas City, MO and play Celtic rock with guitar, violin, mandolin, drums and vocals.
  Skope: How has playing music offered more fulfillment in your life?
  Cello Fury: Music is our life. When we’re not performing music, we’re teaching it, composing new pieces, or rehearsing together. We’ve been playing the cello since we were little kids in elementary school, and it has remained a vital part of our lives. One of the most rewarding things is working with young kids, introducing them to classical/rock crossover music and encouraging them to take up an instrument. It can be life changing for them!
  Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
  Cello Fury: We’ve got a big production at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on February 18 & 19, a collaboration with a local dance company that features a score written and performed live by our band. It’s awesome to see our music brought to life with dance. You can check us out at www.cellofury.com, www.facebook.com/cellofury, and www.sonicbids.com/cellofury.

• Cello Fury -- Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  Cello Fury - Cello Fury 2011, Cello Fury Cello Fury is an eclectic collective from Pittsburgh, P...Cello Fury - Cello Fury
  2011, Cello Fury
  
  Cello Fury is an eclectic collective from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Comprised of three cellos and a drummer, Cello Fury creates original progressive rock music with classical leanings. Originally a four-cello quarter called Cellofourte, Cello Fury has continued to grow with cellists Simon Cummings, Ben Munoz and Nicole Myers creating some of their most vibrant work to date for their debut album, Cello Fury.
  
  Cello Fury opens with "Infinity Rises" with dueling cellos throwing off counter melodies and using stereo effects to maximize headphone listening. The composition is well constructed and is carried by an impulsive rhythm that sweeps you up and takes you along for the ride. Cello Fury achieves a modern rock sound that has metal in its lineage, while achieving a level of technical perfection that is surprising. "Against All Odds" features dual, lyric leads. Pretty, stark melody lines dance over a somewhat driven rock arrangement, and make for an appealing sound. "Anarchy" starts off in stoic fashion, but breaks out into a vibrant rocker with dark undertones.
  
  "Pins And Needles" shows off Cello Fury's sense of fun in a composition that is more about artistic interpretation than anything else. "Daybreak" segues back into the edgy, vibrant modern rock feel that pervades much of the album, while "Middle Ground" aptly splits between lyric melody lines and a driving arrangement. Cello Fury creates a gorgeous, baroque essence with the fluid lines of "Silenced". The group captures the beauty within sorrow in a magical moment that sparks with the pure anima of creation. "Odyssey" is a bit more mundane, but is a solid composition based on a pop/rock progression that fills up your ears. "Down The Road" is languorous and lovely, a classical-themed composition that is lyric and pure in its sound. Cello Fury wraps up with "Shockwave", a big, vibrant closer that is frenetic in its energy.
  
  Cello Fury invests themselves in a heavy rock sound, woven through cello strings and prog rock and classical arrangements on their self-titled debut album. Treading on musical earth shared with bands such as Break of Reality, Primitivity and The 440 Alliance, Cello Fury create compelling rock and roll with three cellos that laces together the webs of heavy metal, progressive rock and baroque styles. Cello Fury is an intriguing debut.
  

• 108 Minutes [+ Show ]
  

  "...Cello Fury, three classically-trained cellists and a rock drummer, features energetic original m..."...Cello Fury, three classically-trained cellists and a rock drummer, features energetic original music complementing the dancers. The driving rhythms and intricate harmonies of the four musicians perched on a scaffold at the back of the stage create, literally, a wall of sound behind the dancers. The collaboration between Bodiography and Cello Fury is perfect in its strangeness: both choreography and music break down barriers of genre, creating an art that is wholly new...Through brilliant choreography and original music, the dialogue between dance and medicine seems surprisingly natural and unforced as if the parallel between these widely different disciplines were, like a new continent, simply waiting to be discovered."

• Cover of the City Paper Magazine's 2010 City Guide [+ Show ]
  

  Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Try Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com): This charismatic ...Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Try Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com): This charismatic quartet--perhaps you noticed them on the cover of this guide?--is equally at home in bars and chamber-music settings, adn equally adept at classical and classic rock. ~City Paper Magazine, City Guide 2010, page 36

• Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  In the nearly 18 months since the City Paper's Andy Mulkerin declared that Cellofourte "aren't rock,...In the nearly 18 months since the City Paper's Andy Mulkerin declared that Cellofourte "aren't rock," the band has taken decisive steps to prove otherwise. They traded one of four cellos for a drum kit, re-branded themselves Cello Fury, and penned a collection of new tunes that rival Slayer for shredding and Eugene Friesen for technique.
  
  Cellos can do everything a guitar can do, but a little better because they have a bigger range and no frets. When cellos are put into the capable hands of three classically-trained musicians who have innate knack for headbanging and a highly-practiced gift for mid-song cello twirls, the authenticity of the rock no longer remains a question. Remember, too, that "real" rockers lust for cello. Recall the line from Weezer's "El Scorcho?" Oh the redhead said you shred the cello / And I'm jell-o, baby. 'Nuff said.
  
  One of the neat things about a trio of cellos is that the three of them together can sound like one cello or six cellos. The group makes full use of this phenomenon in their arrangements. Some songs begin with all three playing thick, chunky power chords in that sandpapery tone only a bowed instrument can produce. Others begin with the slapping of strings or pizzicato plucking or a host of other textures unavailable to traditional rock bands. When their songs demand a standard-sounding arrangement, one cello plays a bass line, another plays synth-like hooks, and another plays blazing guitar chords. None of the songs have vocals, so the melody can be whatever they want it to be, seamlessly handed off from one musician to the next.
  
  All the Cello Fury songs are short and engaging. With so much wide open space for their compositions, they resist traditional verse-chorus song structures in favor of symphonic developments. But the sense of rocking is never lost. False endings, super fast strumming, feedback, and good old chugging riffs lurk around every turn.
  
  The Baroque inspirations for metal and other rock styles have been well chronicled over the years, but rarely explored completely. Cello Fury dares to venture past scales and arpeggios to the more cerebral territories of experimentation and counterpoint. Syncopated backbeats from drummer Dave Throckmorton accent the occasionally-bizarre time signatures so the crowd can always nod along, even if they aren't paying attention to the overlapping rhythms and ongoing shifts through parallel keys.
  
  Cello Fury prefers sweeping, cosmic tones aptly described by song titles like "Fall Celestial" and "Infinity Rises." They describe their new track, "Self-destruction" as a "metal waltz" and imbue it with the explosive gusto such an epithet demands. In return, Cello Fury demands that it be taken seriously as a rock act and not as novelty or something that merely approaches or simulates rock music. What they deliver is as pure and dirty and novel as any fan of rock 'n' roll could hope for.

• Young Pittsburghers to watch in 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  This could be a breakout year for Cellofourte. The rock/classical all-cello quartet is becoming a kn...This could be a breakout year for Cellofourte. The rock/classical all-cello quartet is becoming a known quantity in town, but 2009 will see a systematic unveiling of the four classically trained cellists turned pop musicians: twenty-somethings Nicole Myers, Simon Cummings, Ben Munoz and Tate Olsen.
  
  Cellofourte has been putting in its dues at small clubs, private parties, gala events and outdoor shows for a few years now, and it is paying off locally, but Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour has put Cellofourte on its roster, taking the Carnegie Mellon- and Duquesne-trained cellists across the state.
  
  "This is also a nice bit of accreditation for us, as some of the other performers on the roster include the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Time for Three, Chatham Baroque -- you get the picture," says Cellofourte's Olsen. "Being placed in the company of these great artists is truly awesome."
  
  Likewise, Gateway to the Arts has chosen the group to be one of its roster artists this year, performing in schools throughout Allegheny County. "We had been doing a good number of school shows on our own, but GTA has the infrastructure and connections in place to really help our music reach so many more students than would have been possible on our own," says Olsen.
  
  Suffice it to say that the coming year is crucial to the long-term success of Cellofourte. PennPAT can really launch a group -- witness Imani Winds -- so that big national break may be not too far off.
  
  -- Andrew Druckenbrod,
  Post-Gazette classical music critic
  
  Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09007/939980-42.stm#ixzz1EEFElf11

Setlist

A typical Cello Fury set includes mostly original compositions. Show length can vary from 45 minutes to two hours (divided into two sets with a brief intermission between each set). Cello Fury tailors its sets to each specific event, depending on audience size and preference.

Cello Fury's stage plot is available for download by clicking "PDF Rider" on the EPK.

Cello Fury's original compositions include the following:

Revolution
Turmoil
Symphony of Shadows
Pins and Needles
The Fury
Odyssey
Pathos
Never Done
Going Against All Odds
The Pain of the Fallen
Nightfall
Daybreak
Down the Road
Anarchy
Ultimatum
Middle Ground
Infinity Rises
Silenced
Tundra

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

Cello Fury stage plot

Calendar