While the Lone Star State is revered for its western swing, outlaw country, Tejano, blues and the whole Austin music scene, Joseph Kuipers is on his way to making it known for cello. Kuipers’ TexasCellos is launching its first Fredericksburg Music Festival and School from June 8-21, a series of over 12 performances and daily master classes by the top cellists in the world. They include such titans in the string world as pedagogue Richard Aaron, Korean-American cellist Eunghee Cho, Ken Freudigman, Clive Greensmith, Steuart Pincombe, Camden Shaw, Brinton Averil Smith, Scott Tixier and Joseph Kuipers himself. If that is not ambitious enough, Kuipers is also bringing in the top cello students to play and learn alongside in master classes and performances. These two weeks constitute an incredible concentration of talent in a small town. “One of my friends called me up and said, ‘hey, when I look at your lineup, I got to put sunglasses on.’ That was a very nice compliment. But that’s where we’re starting,” Kuipers explained. What is driving him to do this? “We are hoping to open a space where musicians can truly share their unique voices, while being treated with enough financial respect that they have a good time; that they can get together to make really enjoyable, special music, where we don’t have to compromise on rehearsal time,” he said. While highlighting top talent, Kuipers also hopes to nurture future performers. “I was a beginner once. Yo-Yo Ma was a beginner once. We don’t look down on where someone is in the progression,” Kuipers said. “In a lot of our programming, you will see the highest level faculty member, the superstar, and they get a lot of attention. We want to have those kind of heroes of the cello world, but we also want the next generation to be able to learn from them.” Kuipers is very familiar with the Hill Country and its support of music. He notes the popularity of Symphony of the Hills and Camerata San Antonio, and is a regular performer in Boerne’s Cave Without A Name concert series. Choosing Fredericksburg as the home base came after a thoughtful search. During most of his 20s, Kuipers studied in Germany and Switzerland. The small villages that hosted music festivals all shared an ambience. “They are lovely little towns that were already destinations for the view, the experience, the food, and the hospitality,” he said. “I was just very much looking for a place linked to older culture in the state of Texas. In 2016, I stumbled on St Mary’s Marienkirche. The first time I performed in Fredericksburg was in that small St Mary’s chapel on Valentines Day of 2017. That was the moment I decided to launch a music festival there.” His dream was delayed by the pandemic, during which time Kuipers focused on festivals in the Dallas area. But in the back of his mind, he never let go of the vision of founding a festival in Fredericksburg. “I find myself going down four or five times a year, whether or not I have concerts. It’s just a very unique, special place,” he said. “It has old world charm, and every component that seems to be begging for a music festival.” Even for this first year, he is pleased with the five historic venues that include St. Joseph’s Halle, Becker Vineyards, Marienkirche, Pioneer Museum and the Admiral Nimitz Ballroom. “I’ve performed in Fredericksburg nine times, and I’ve just been blown away by the size of the crowds,” Kuipers said. “I played a solo recital there last November. We had every seat full and 10 people standing in the small chapel; that would be a great crowd for Dallas. So, I mean, we’re already drawing people hungry for this.” His hope is to “get people excited” for great performances. “For me, if I hear a concert and there are 30 seconds of something really profound where I get goosebumps, that’s going to be one of the memorable moments of my life,” he said. “And I’m a professional musician. If we can give people that genuine experience, a really touching moment, I think the music will speak for itself.” Great music, indeed.