"The music world – and music itself – is infinitely richer for the presence of Steven Isserlis." - Grammophone Magazine

The British cellist Steven Isserlis, Commander of the British Empire, related to both Felix Mendelssohn and Karl Marx, is celebrated worldwide for his stupendous technique, extraordinary musicality and creativity. As an outstanding soloist and passionate chamber musician, he is a regular guest of the most renowned international orchestras and festivals and is also a sought-after teacher, author and radio presenter. He has a strong interest in historical performance and is also a keen exponent of contemporary music.

Representations: Germany and Austria

Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a uniquely varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author, and broadcaster.

As a soloist, he appears regularly with the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, London Philharmonic and Zurich Tonhalle orchestras. He gives recitals in major musical centres and plays with the world’s foremost chamber orchestras, including the Australian, Norwegian, Scottish, Munich, Potsdam, Zurich, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, he has curated series for many famous festivals and venues, including the Wigmore Hall, the 92nd St Y in New York, and the Salzburg Festival. These specially devised programmes have included explorations of Czech music, the affinity of the cello and the human voice, The Cello in Wartime and most recently Composers and their Muses.

Recent and upcoming highlights in Germany and Austria include concerts with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, the Kammerakademie Potsdam and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. With recitals and chamber music programmes he will appear at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Dresden Music Festival, the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and the Kissinger Sommer.

Steven Isserlis has a strong interest in authentic performance, working with leading period-instrument orchestras and often directing chamber orchetras from the cello. An equally keen exponent of contemporary music, he has collaborated with composers such as John Tavener, Wolfgang Rihm and György Kurtag and premiered numerous works.

Isserlis is the author of several children's books and a regular guest writer for Gramophone Magazine and the BBC. His latest book, The Bach Cello Suites: A Companion published by Faber & Faber, won the Presto Music Award for "Book of the Year". Being highly appreciated as a teacher, he gives masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy and as artistic director of the international music seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall.

His wide-ranging and award-winning discography includes Bach's solo cello suites, recordings of the great cello concertos under Paavo Järvi, Beethoven's cello sonatas with Robert Levin, Lieux retrouvés with Thomas Adés and Haydn's cello concertos with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

The recipient of many awards, Steven Isserlis’ honours include a CBE in recognition of his services to music, the Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau, the Piatigorsky Prize in the USA, the Glashütte Original MusikFestspielPreis in Dresden, the Wigmore Hall Gold Medal, and the Walter Willson Cobbett Medal for Services to Chamber Music. He is also one of only two living cellists featured in Gramophone’s Hall of Fame.

He plays most of his concerts on the Marquis de Corberon (Nelsova) Stradivarius of 1726, kindly loaned to him by the Royal Academy of Music.

For more information please visit Steven Isserlis’ website: www.stevenisserlis.com

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