Live Podcast: Featured Guest Zoë Keating, Cellist and Composer

Zoë Keating, Photo By: Jeffrey Rusch

This week we have a special treat on The A-List, a wonderful, one-woman powerhouse of a musician, Zoë Keating.

Recently named one of the Hot 20 people of 2009 by 7×7 magazine, they dubbed her, “Avant-Cellist.” It’s a fitting description, but for my part, I am interested in the way Zoë has used the Web and social media to engage with and stay in touch with her fans.

With more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter (@zoecello), she describes herself there as, “Cello, computers and pancakes. The daily twitterings of a professional avant cellist and amateur nerd.” A wonderfully humble description for an immense and innovative talent.

I am thrilled Zoë was able to join the program. Listen to the archive here:

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Learn more about Zoe from her bio:

Zoë Keating is a one-woman orchestra. She uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, to create lush, beautiful and otherworldy music.

Born in Canada and classically trained from the age of eight, Zoe spent her 20′s dabbling in computer software while moonlighting as a cellist in rock bands. Inevitably, she combined the two and developed her now signature style while improvising for late night crowds at her San Francisco warehouse.

Zoë’s self-released albums have sold 30,000 copies and several times been #1 on the iTunes classical and electronica charts. She has performed her music live on National Public Radio, on television, outdoors in the Nevada desert, in medieval churches, in punk clubs, and before thousands of screaming teenagers in mainstream rock venues across North America and Europe.

Zoë has worked with a wide range of artists, including Imogen Heap, Mark Isham, Curt Smith, The Dresden Dolls, Rasputina, DJ Shadow, and Paolo Nutini. From 2002 to 2006 she was a member of the cello-rock trio Rasputina. Most recently, Zoë has been composing music for film and ballet. In 2008 she performed her music live with the Valencia ballet, she composed music for a documentary called “Ghostbird” about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, and performed her signature layered cello on Mark Isham’s score for “The Secret Life of Bees”. She is featured on Amanda Palmer’s solo release “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” and supported Ms. Palmer on her 2008 European and North American tours.

Zoë is a recipient of a 2009 performing arts grant from the Creative Capital foundation. Her new self-released album, “Into The Trees” will be available in March 2010.