Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, July 25, 2008
Cellist says move to Interlochen was worth it
 Cellist Rachel Bottner, a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, will soon give a recital at Viterbo University PETER THOMSON photo |
Rachel Bottner spent her past two years of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy, a world-class high school for the visual and performing arts.
Bottner, who spent her first two years of high school at Logan, decided on the specialized boarding school in Michigan to help her decide whether she wanted to pursue music as a career — and if so, then better prepare her for it.
“After the first year there, I knew I was going into music and this definitely was the right place for me,” she said.
The 18-year-old La Crosse native recently graduated from Interlochen, where she received an award for excellence in cello performance. This past year she was one of 13 cellists at the school.
“I feel like I made a lot of progress, including my dedication and passion for playing the cello,” Bottner said. “Now I eat, sleep and breathe cello, and I can’t get enough of it.”
Bottner, who studied with Crispin Campbell, is one of four cellists accepted this fall at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., one of the country’s finest music conservatories.
“I wouldn’t be going to Eastman if I had not gone to Interlochen,” Bottner said. “I’ve learned so many technical things about my instrument and I played a lot of repertoire.”
Bottner, daughter of Wayne and Susan Bottner, will give a solo recital Wednesday at Viterbo University. The repertoire includes the first movement of Mendelssohn’s second sonata, three movements of Bach’s second suite, Schumann fantasy pieces, the Saint-Saens concerto and an Hungarian rhapsody.
While at Logan, Bottner played with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra. She also received an honorable mention during the Young Artist Auditions sponsored by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League.
Bottner said it wasn’t a difficult decision to leave home for her junior and senior years of high school.
“My brothers went off to college and I was ready to go,” Bottner said. “It was like going off to college.”
She said Interlochen is a close-knit community of talented and motivated student artists. Besides music, she had a regular academic college preparatory program.
“I had regular classes, but the difference was I had master classes with phenomenal teachers and I was around music 24/7,” Bottner said.
Besides playing in the orchestra at Interlochen, she also played in a string quartet and piano quintet.
“I’d love to be in a chamber group some day, but playing in a professional orchestra would be a good, steady job,” she said.
Like many local string students, Bottner started studying cello with Sister Marcella Steffes in Viterbo’s Preparatory School for the Arts. She studied with Steffes for five years.
“I think starting early with Sister Marcella was important, and being part of the school district’s string program taught me the fundamentals,” Bottner said.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at (608) 791-8227.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Rachel Bottner’s cello recital
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Recital Hall
ADMISSION: Free
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