Taking a break from going around the shop, I’d like to give you some cellists who I would consider my “cello heroes.” Steven Isserlis – his playing has captivated me since I first started playing cello.  His use of gut strings on his Stradivarius gives a unique sound no one can match!  Particularly, his recording of Schumman’s works for cello are especially beautiful.  I’ve taken some nuggets of wisdom from his approach to playing: let the music guide you as you, don’t try and force any of your own ideas! Gautier Capucon – I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Capucon perform the Saint-Saens concert with the Chicago Symphony a few years ago.  He has a deep, rich sound that projected all the way to me in the back of the hall!  His recording of the Dvorak cello concerto is one of my favorites, as well as his recording of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante.  Pablo Ferrandez – He has a unique style with a very physical playing technique.  He has a series of videos on YouTube about cello technique that I have found very helpful.  He once posted a video where he compared 3 different Stradivarius cellos.  That would be a