If you’re anything like us, you’re dying to know what makes your favorite classical music artists tick. What drives their routines? Do they exercise? How do they meditate? Does a routine matter to them or do they live a chaotic, artist lifestyle? 

The questions in our heads—and probably yours, too—are endless. 

Why? Because we’re always ready to absorb as much information as possible from the skilled, hardworking musicians we idolize. We’re all looking to make connections with the people we respect and admire, right? 

That’s where this new feature comes in. Meet Classical Post’s Artist Routines section. It’s a space solely dedicated to really getting to know the classical musicians we know and love in a different way. 

This week, we take a look at the routines of Ofra Harnoy, a talented, well-known cellist who hails from Canada. Though Harnoy was born in Israel, she immigrated to Canada when she was 6. Harnoy is a gifted interpreter who’s in high demand across the globe. Thus far, she’s toured extensively in Europe, Australia, the Far East, and the Americas. She’s performed with many of the top orchestras and most notable conductors of our time and her recording catalogs span musical styles and genres (almost all of which have won her distinguished awards and recognitions.

Harnoy has more than 40 solo albums under her belt, has performed by request for numerous royal and distinguished world leaders (including three Canadian Prime Ministers, Prince Charles, President Bill Clinton, and the Imperial Japanese Family). She was also notably the first Canadian classical instrumental soloist since Glen Could to gain an exclusive worldwide contract with a major record label. 

So, what makes this superstar tick? How does she go about her daily life? Find out here!

Let’s Talk About the Best Part of the Day—the Morning. What’s Your Everyday Morning Routine? 

Every morning, I wake up at around 7 am. I make a concoction of lemon water (turmeric, cayenne, molasses, fresh-squeezed lemon, etc.) for both my husband and myself. After we drink that, we have some berries and fruit before going to the gym in our house.

When it comes to working out, we alternate days of cardio (on the elliptical machine) with days of weight training. It’s important for both of us to build and maintain muscle balance in order to play our instruments to the best of our ability while reducing the risk of repetitive injury. 

Following our workout, we make a beautiful breakfast together and then settle into our day of practice and business-related work. Mike writes and arranges music and works on organizing our various concerts and recording logistics. 

How Do You Prepare for a Performance the “Day Of”? 

On the actual day of a performance, I prefer to save my energy for the concert itself. Instead of going to the gym, we’ll take a nice walk and then I’ll make sure I get a good warm-up in. 

I like to get to the concert venue at least 2 hours prior to the start of the concert so my cello can get settled in the temperature of the room.

I’ll spend most of that time keeping my hands warm and ready to play by continuing with slow practice.

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