Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will lead the next Santa Barbara Strings masterclass, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 at El Montecito Presbyterian Church, 1455 East Valley Road. The free event is open to all who are interested.

The two performers in the class will be Noah Girdler (Herbert “Concerto No. 2, Mvnt. 1”) and Aidan Woodruff (Dvorak “Concerto in B Minor, Mvnt. 1”). Both Girdler and Woodruff are Vivace cellists and long-time Santa Barbara Strings members.

One of today’s foremost cellists, Weilerstein is known for her artistry, emotional investment, and interpretive depth. She was recognized with a MacArthur Genius Grant Fellowship in 2011.

Her career is global in scope, taking her to prestigious international venues for solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concerto collaborations with preeminent conductors and orchestras worldwide.

“Weilerstein is a throwback to an earlier age of classical performers: not content merely to serve as a vessel for the composer’s wishes, she inhabits a piece fully and turns it to her own ends,” The New York Times said of her.

The class is sponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures.