While long accepted as a fundamental building block of human expression, classical music has substantial connotations of elitism. Its illustrious melodies, frequently woven with drama and suspense, often fashion impressive audial storytelling that is wondrous, albeit old-fashioned. Cellist and producer Yves Dhar has performed on the world’s biggest stages alongside famous artists across genres like Itzhak Perlman, Christina Aguilera, Arijit Singh, and Bert from Sesame Street.  He knows the snooty cliches all too well and strives to make classical music more accessible, more relevant to the mainstream, and basically, just more fun. 

One note at a time, Dhar is stretching the boundaries of what conventional classical music means. While the classical music industry strives to become more popular, most artists involved in the genre long to keep it “special” and strictly tailored for those with “good taste.” Due to their inclinations, these people have no idea how to take the next step into a foray with more popular mainstream audiences, and this is where Dhar is leading the way. His style is shattering the barriers to classical music, and his latest projects are ruffling the establishment’s feathers, which is a sign that he is onto something profound. 

The classical music industry is up in arms over Dhar’s projects as they seem to go against the fabric of pure art and music, as he exemplifies with his latest production— Automation (Concerto for Human and AI Cellists). Automation, written by Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer Adam Schoenberg, features Yves Dhar and AGNES (a holographic cellist that performs music written by AI) battling onstage in front of a full orchestra. The first-of-its-kind work is rattling cages because it fuses pure classical music with technology, AI, and film VFX. Even though Dhar has the most traditional and elitist roots imaginable – he is an award-winning graduate of Yale and Juilliard and former resident artist of Carnegie Hall – projects like Automation are polarizing many blueblood classical presenters.  Some see it as a violation of the pure classical tradition and others welcome it as a badly needed reinvigoration of an art form that has lost touch with mainstream culture.  Whatever the gatekeepers think, audiences young and old love it.  After the May 2022 world premiere with Louisville Orchestra, critic Annette Skaggs wrote, “Automation is perhaps one of the best new pieces that have been performed by our Orchestra in many years. The piece was like a rollercoaster ride I didn’t want to end. Stunning from first note to last. I am still craving to hear more.”  Her account was backed up by a thunderous standing ovation.    

Other projects by Dhar that are pushing the envelope include Variations on a Rococo Scene and Press “1” for Cello. The former syncs live performance of Tchaikovsky’s 18th-century music with fresh video vignettes on modern love directed by seven directors of diverse cultural and aesthetic backgrounds – think classical symphony meets the beloved film Paris, je t’aime.  Press “1” for Cello, coined after automated customer service calls, dials up old favorite cello pieces and new premieres with visual projections and electronics to make the music more dazzling, accessible and relevant to people who normally don’t go to classical concerts.  

Dhar’s riveting videos online connect to younger generations through social and cultural issues and virtual exploration. On I Can’t Breathe, a viral cello tribute to George Floyd, Rosie Pentreath of ClassicalFM writes, “Let this powerful performance make you stop and reflect.” Around the World in 42 Bars, which showcases the cellist flying around the world in an animated hot air balloon, was produced to bring joy to children during the pandemic. With each eye-catching production, Dhar is proving that while he is a classical artist with unique talent, he is more of a tastemaker at heart, thriving outside the realm of the classical sphere. As a sort of David Beckham of classical music, the innovative, feelgood cellist is taking his own strides and reshaping the outer limits of the industry. As he continues to captivate audiences of all ages worldwide, Dhar aims to produce more immersive events that make classical music more fun, more inviting and less daunting to the everyday person. Younger generations will be sure to appreciate his entertaining, outside-the-box presentations, perhaps in a way that will make classical music fashionable and on trend again hundreds of years after it was the hottest ticket in town.   

For more on Yves Dhar and his productions, check him out at yvesdhar.com, on Youtube, and IG.

Automation was commissioned by Justin M. Sullivan, in honor of his son Alec.