Minnesota Orchestra cellist remembered for his unique style, dedication and wit

You should think of any group of cellists as a stew, said Minnesota Orchestra principal cello Tony Ross. Each player contributes something different to mix. And his late friend Arek Tesarczyk?

“Arek was like, you know, the dark roux,” Ross said. “That really makes the whole thing feel and taste earthy and beautiful.”

Tesarczyk contacted Ross in 1993 hoping to get lessons before auditioning for principal cello with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

“We finally found a time, he said, ‘Oh, that’s good, because I can come right after my shift at Pottery Barn,” Ross recalled. Tesarczyk nailed the audition.

“He sounded amazing,” Ross said. “And of course, he won the job.”

It was 10 years later that Tesarczyk would return to Ross, this time auditioning for a seat with the Minnesota Orchestra. Near the end of the 45-minute audition, Tesarczyk was playing the final movement of Mozart’s 40th Symphony.

Ross noticed Tesarczyk playing one part of it that seemed off. Ross asked him to try it again and again, and then finally, flustered, asked, “Arek, do you know that you’re accenting that C natural at the end of the phrase?”

Tesarczyk’s responded: “So, should I get a lawyer?”

He joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 2004.

Ross said Tesarczyk understood that it took time and diligent practice for a musician to become one with the music. This was the lesson he took from Tesarczyk: “Do not hurry. … Smell the flowers and actually get down and look at them.”

Arek Tesarczyk died at the age of 59 in May 2025. Read his tribute from the Minnesota Orchestra here.

Listen to the Parting Thoughts conversation with Tony Ross by clicking the play button above.

• Vietnam veteran dedicated his life to service of others and adventures with family
• Science teacher jury-rigged everything and used humor as the glue
• Avid gardener and philanthropist fled Laos and became 'true Minnesotan'