Carol Rice grew up in Morro Bay, just the other side of the hill from Kent Nagano, and both of them studied music with Mr. Korisheli, who started her on flute and him on clarinet. (Though Carol’s early musical memories of Maestro Nagano are of him playing 12-string guitar in a Bob Dylan vein.) Mr. Korisheli also conducted the high school orchestra, and wind players were not allowed to play in the orchestra unless they also played string instruments, so he naturally encouraged his students to take up a string instrument. “I wanted to play bass,” remembers Carol, “but thank God they were out of them, and I ended up with a cello.”
The cello quickly replaced the flute as Carol’s main instrument, and when she went on to UC Santa Cruz she studied cello with Laszlo Varga and Irene Sharp, and chamber music with Heiichiro Ohyama. Ohyama, who subsequently became principal viola of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was a particularly strong influence on Carol, and through his friendship with Yo-Yo Ma she had the opportunity to play chamber music with Ma and later to study with him one summer.
Carol did her graduate work at Yale, where she met her husband, David Wishnia, also a cellist. When they moved to the Bay Area in 1983, she auditioned for principal cello in the Berkeley Symphony and a section position in the San Jose Symphony and won both auditions. She continues to play in both of these orchestras and to freelance in other groups. Carol enjoys working with kids, teaches in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Preparatory Division, is active in the Berkeley Symphony’s Music Education Program and has many private students, from five-year-olds to adults.
Carol and David have two daughters—Karen (13), a cellist, and Becky (10), a violinist. The whole family is involved in the Villa Sinfonia, and is looking forward to performing together at Carnegie Hall next May. “It’s a mix of professionals, students of all ages and parents of students,” she explains, “and it’s a wonderful experience. I want to be involved in groups where everyone is really enjoying music and wanting to be there. I love playing with Villa Sinfonia because of that.”
By the same token, Carol feels that part of what gives the Berkeley Symphony such a remarkable spirit is the inclusion of talented amateurs. “I think it’s really special that we have people who are only here because they want to be. It brings a little something to the mix to have people who are going that much out of their way to be good enough to play in this group and perform with people who have devoted their lives to music.”
When not making music together, Carol’s family enjoys camping (Bryce Canyon is a particular favorite) and gardening. Carol is also an avid baseball fan, listens to Giants games whenever possible and says her favorite book is The Glory of Their Times, a collection of reminiscences by old-time baseball greats.
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