I met Meta in the mid-2000s, when we were both music students at the Shepherd School at Rice University. I admired her from afar for several years, while our paths crossed daily in core curriculum theory, history, and ear training classes; our relationship deepened when we formed a trio and played together on several occasions. Since then, it’s been a joy to continue to weave a relationship with Meta; though we connect mostly through text messages and the occasional dinner visit when she’s in town, I am proud to call her a dear friend and a member of my “chosen family.”
Besides being a generous, kind, hilarious, and fabulous human being, Meta is also a brilliant musician. Her technical chops are stunning, her melodic interpretations are unparalleled, and the nuances in her phrasing never fail to wow me. In performance, she achieves the nearly impossible feat of being strikingly understated yet overwhelmingly compelling. When she plays, I hear her fierce intelligence, her quick wit, her deep love for the music. This all works in communion to convey a level of care and artistry that is magnetic, mesmerizing, and moving. I firmly believe she’s one of the greats of our generation. (And I don’t say that lightly!)
Meta’s musical journey led her to Juilliard, where she received her doctoral degree. She’s been a part of a number of different brilliant projects (including an inspiring violin-cello with duoW, who released a video back in 2014 that continues to be one of my favorite classical music videos, ever), and is now based in Australia, where she’s a cello professor.
How can you, too, experience the beauty that is Meta’s music? Along with regular performances in Australia, she’s currently performing with her husband David Requiro as the Weiss-Requiro Duo, and has a busy teaching and concert calendar both abroad and stateside. She has CDs available on CDBaby, and most of the other sites where you usually buy your music. It’s my honor to give you a little sneak peek with the video below; for more, visit Meta’s website, or the Weiss-Requiro Duo Facebook page. And pssst: Berkeley and Boulder friends, she’s in town for concerts on December 10 and 12!
The Generosity Chronicles 