Alisa Weilerstein’s FRAGMENTS 5 marks the next chapter of her groundbreaking, multi-year solo cello project, which interweaves movements from J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites with 27 newly commissioned works by leading contemporary composers. Each installment is crafted as an immersive, theatrically staged experience, performed without interruption.

FRAGMENTS 5 features new works by composers including Gabriela Lena Frank, Gabriella Smith, Gerard McBurney, Mathilde Wantenaar, and Osvaldo Golijov, thoughtfully paired with J. S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5. The result is a singular, multisensory journey that invites listeners to experience the cello repertoire in a completely new way.

Presented in the intimate Concert Hall at William & Mary as part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s 2026 season and co-presented with Office of the Arts at William & Mary, this special 60-minute performance offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience Weilerstein’s visionary project just before she performs it at Carnegie Hall.

Alisa Weilerstein, Project Creator, Performer
Elkhanah Pulitzer, Director
Seth Reiser, Scenic and Lighting Designer
Hanako Yamaguchi, Artistic Producer and Advisor
Molly Irelan, Costume Designer
Heather Sterling, Original Hair and Makeup Design

FEATURED COMPOSERS: In each FRAGMENTS program, 5-6 composers are featured. There are 28 FRAGMENTS composers in total: Alan Fletcher, Allison Loggins-Hull, Ana Sokolović, Andy Akiho, Carlos Simon, Caroline Shaw, Courtney Bryan, Daniel Kidane, Gabriel Kahane, Gabriela Lena Frank, Gabriella Smith, Gerard McBurney, Gili Schwarzman, Gity Razaz, Jeffrey Mumford, Jessie Montgomery, Joan Tower, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Hallman, Mathilde Wantenaar, Matthias Pintscher, Missy Mazzoli, Osvaldo Golijov, Paul Wiancko, Reinaldo Moya, Tania Leon, Thomas Larcher, Chen Yi