Recapitulation w/ wayne smith [2 Min READ]
During a recent rehearsal, we had the chance to catch up with cellist Wayne Smith as he prepared for our final Chamber Concert Series performance on May 17, 2025.
For cellist Wayne Smith, performing Franz Schubert’s String Quintet is both a showcase of technical brilliance and an emotional exploration. “Schubert challenges you to find out what he wants you to do with the piece,” he says. As the second cellist in the upcoming Haven String Quartet Chamber Series concert, Recapitulation, Smith embraces his role as the group’s foundation, providing rhythm, pitch, and structural grounding.
Playing with the Haven String Quartet (HSQ) feels, to Smith, like meeting a new friend and learning how to harmonize. “It’s almost like a duet within a quintet,” he notes, referencing the dynamic between having two cellos playing on the same piece. “In one movement,” he continues, “I love how the two cellos play a G in unison for a full bar, then cello 2 melts down chromatically, it turns into a quintet chamber lollipop.”
Smith brings his unique musical voice to the performance, including subtle stylistic influences shaped by his own background. “You may not be able to detect it,” he says, “but I’m approaching parts of this piece… specifically the second movement, with a sort of Gospel Shuffle.” He likens this to the way actors reinterpret Shakespeare: very familiar roles given fresh life through individual interpretation.
Returning to Music Haven is especially meaningful for Smith, who has a longstanding friendship with resident violinist Dr. Patrick Doane. “We’ve played together, traveled together… I’m happy to be sitting next to him during this concert,” he says.
Smith recalls a powerful moment from his first visit, when a young student cellist approached him after a workshop. “She looked at me and said with wide eyes, ‘You look like me!’” he remembers. “It was a beautiful and deeply humbling reminder of how meaningful it is for young people, especially students of color, to see themselves reflected in the professional artists around them.”
Moments like that, Smith notes, affirm the importance of representation in classical music and the transformative impact it can have on aspiring musicians.
As Smith puts it, “playing with HSQ isn’t just about performance, it’s about creating space, connection, and meaning through music.”
Haven String Quartet Chamber Series Concert: Recapitulation - Music Haven presents Bach’s D minor Keyboard concerto in chamber style featuring resident pianist, Jacob Wang. In the 2nd half, guest cellist Wayne Smith joins the Haven String Quartet on Schubert’s Cello Quintet.