Cellist

Giovanni Sollima, conductor and cellist leading the Orchestra della Fondazione Carlo Felice. Music by Franz Joseph Haydn and Giovanni Sollima

Sollima style

Carlo Felice Theater

BroadStage presents a spectacular collaboration of musical excellence as Avi Avital, considered by many to be the world’s greatest mandolinist, takes the stage with the renowned Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra! Hailed by The New York Times as “explosively charismatic” in live performance, Avital is the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical GRAMMY® Award. He is known for reinvigorating the mandolin and shaping its history and future, while playing it in the most prestigious halls all over the world. 

Avital is joined by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, praised by The New York Times as “America’s leading historically informed ensemble.” Among the most recorded orchestras in the world, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra performs on period-specific instruments, presenting repertoire ranging from early Baroque to late Romantic, along with new contemporary works and major operatic productions.

Avi Avital & Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

The Broad Stage

Mario Brunello (cellist) and violinist Sergej Krylov (violinist) with the “Orchestra del Mare”, which uses instruments made from the wood of migrant boats and crafted by inmates at Opera prison, in a concert of great social value in aid of the Casa dello Spirito e delle Arti Foundation.

Brunello and Krylov and the Orchestra del Mare

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theatre

DYNAMIKfest presents Trio Clara – a young ensemble born from a deep friendship between three exceptional musicians of the new generation. Italian pianist Martina Consonni, French violinist Sarah Jégou-Sageman, and German cellist Anouchka Hack are all successful soloists and experienced chamber musicians with numerous prestigious competition wins. Their performances are characterized by intuitive musical communication and a shared passion for sonic discovery, making Trio Clara one of the most exciting young ensembles on the international music scene. Since its founding at the renowned Kronberg Academy, the trio has performed in many major concert halls and festivals across Europe – experience their Salzburg debut now!

FIRST LOVES: TRIO CLARA DYNAMIKfest 2025

Mozarteum Foundation

EPSG:4326

Mediterraneo – Origin VII

Saanen Church

This is how international understanding works! Abel Selaocoe firmly believes in the unifying power of music. For the South African native, there are no boundaries – perhaps only in people's minds, but certainly not in music. "Where I come from, we don't immediately pigeonhole everything," he says of his early and most important artistic influence. "When I got a cello, no one said, 'Play classical music.' But they did ask: What sound can you produce with it?'" So, with great curiosity, he embarked on a journey into musical in-between worlds. In his concerts full of universal musicality, the voice, alongside the cello, becomes an important instrument, and the entire body becomes a means of communication. In his joint concert with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, he brings works with very different musical roots together, bringing the world a little closer together.

Abel Selaocoe: “African roots”

Eberbach Abbey

Abel Selaocoe finds his home in the cello – and at the same time a means of expressing the many different kinds of "home." For the South African musician, people, melodies, vocal techniques, spiritual rituals, and the all-encompassing love are also important places of refuge, as he explores them musically in his album "Hae ke Kae" (Sesotho for "Where is home?"). What is special about Selaocoe is that he combines cello playing with (throat) singing, percussion, and improvisation, building bridges between Western and South African musical traditions. The Italian composer Giovanni Sollima also knows how to blend different styles. In addition to his six-movement cycle "When We Were Trees," Caroline Shaw's contemporary response to Haydn's last string quartet and David Fennessy's weightless sonic impression of the deserted island of Hirta complement the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra's musical search for home.

Abel Selaocoe

Forum at the Castle Park

Out of the Box: When Abel Selaocoe steps on stage, there is only music - beyond all genre boundaries and expectations. Classical and world music merge in his virtuoso performance of classical cello playing, improvisation, singing and body percussion to create a unique musical experience.

Abel Selaocoe & Ensemble Resonanz

Museum Ludwig

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe redefines the parameters of the cello and combines virtuoso skills with improvisation, singing and body percussion. He has found an ideal ally in Ensemble Resonanz, which also enthusiastically explores innovative and new paths in its concerts, sometimes as the Ensemble in Residence of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and sometimes in the chamber music club it founded itself in the Hamburg district of St Pauli.

Ensemble Resonanz / Abel Selaocoe / Saerom Park

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

From Zappa to Zappa

Scuola Holden

“The World in Great Amber” / Italy

Italian cellist and composer Giovanni Sollima is a classical music artist with rock star status – he is often called the Jimi Hendrix of classical music. He will visit the Liepāja Concert Hall with a program where we will vividly feel the atmosphere of Venice – a mosaic city where different cultures have merged since ancient times. Giovanni Sollima will perform in Liepāja with masters of the historical repertoire – the Italian orchestra Il Pomo d'Oro, who have gained world-class recognition and whose playing is characterized by extraordinary artistry, relief articulation and golden southern radiance.

Al-Bunduqiyya

Concert Hall Great Amber

Sunrise over Grenada, a bustling Armenian market, the sidewalk bars of Italy — against the backdrops our music conjures, Canada’s most famous musical siblings unleash fireworks. 

Dawn & Dusk

Crescent Arts Centre

On the heels of his triumphant Seattle debut in 2023, Abel Selaocoe comes back to our stage with more of his joyous music. An unforgettable fusion of cello, body percussion, traditional singing and heartfelt music, Selaocoe’s performances bring pure, spine-tingling joy. The experience is not to be missed. Tchaikovsky was full of doubts about what he had poured out in his Fifth Symphony, but he came to love it just as millions of music lovers have since he wrote it. Its high emotions strike a universal chord, and Tchaikovsky’s melody and passion in the hands of conductor Giancarlo Guerrero will bring the program to its striking conclusion.

Selaocoe & Tchaikovsky

Benaroya Hall

When We Were Trees with Abel Selaocoe

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Cellists from the Moores School of Music will perform works for cello ensemble in collaboration with soloists Dr. Timothy Jones (Professor of Voice), Dr. Yoshika Masuda (A. I. Lack Series Guest Artist), Dr. Eunghee Cho (Professor of Practice in Cello), and Hope Cowan (Affiliate Artist in Harp)

Concert: Moores Cello Ensemble

University of Houston

Joie T. Kuo, Cello

The Juilliard School

This performance is free and open for general seating and will be live-streamed on the School of Music.

WIU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT "Folklore and Defiance" - Dr. Kenny Lee, conductor with guest cellists Seth Russell and Jamie Clark

Western Illinois University

A fundraiser celebrating our 49th season, and benefiting the programs of the Manchester Music Festival. Featuring a virtuoso cello performance by Alexander Hersh.   Wine bar and savory hors d’oeuvres presented by SVAC’s curATE café.

An Evening with Alexander Hersh

Southern Vermont Arts Center

Join us for an unforgettable evening of classical music at Caramoor on July 8, 2023, in Katonah, NY, featuring the exceptional talents of cellist Alexander Hersh and pianist Christopher Goodpasture. This intimate Music Room recital, starting at 5:00pm, showcases a journey through five distinct sound worlds, with the cello leading the exploration of both familiar and fantastical sonic possibilities.

Alexander Hersh, an Evnin Rising Star alumnus, has rapidly established himself as a leading figure in the classical music scene, having performed with renowned orchestras and received top prizes at competitions worldwide. His passion for chamber music has taken him to prestigious festivals across the globe. Christopher Goodpasture, known for his captivating performances as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist, joins Hersh in this performance, bringing his own accolades and a growing reputation.

The program for the evening includes Claude Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Paul Wianko's Microsuite for Solo Cello, Anton Webern's 2 Pieces for Cello and Piano, Felix Mendelssohn's Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58, and Giovanni Sollima's Lamentatio for Solo Cello. This selection promises an exploration of the cello's expressive range and the duo's musical synergy.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring an intimate atmosphere for all attendees. Following the performance, guests are invited to meet the artists and enjoy a refreshing beverage, making for a perfect summer evening of music and camaraderie.

This event is part of a new series of Saturday late-afternoon hour-long classical recitals at Caramoor, designed especially for chamber music enthusiasts and featuring alumni of Caramoor’s mentoring programs. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the artistry of Alexander Hersh and Christopher Goodpasture in the serene setting of Caramoor's Music Room.

Alexander Hersh, cello Christopher Goodpasture, piano

The Rosen House at Caramoor

The New York Times reported that, “the words ‘superstar’ and ‘mandolinist’ still look odd next to each other. Yet in the classical music world they are starting to be joined with some frequency. Avi Avital was nothing short of electric.” The first mandolist nominated for a classical Grammy Award joins the adventurous Brooklyn Rider for an evening of virtuoso music for mandolin and strings.

Brooklyn Rider and Avi Avital Mandolin

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Brooklyn Rider

The 100 Cellos were formed in 2012 at the Teatro Valle Occupato, following the meeting between Enrico Melozzi and Giovanni Sollima. From that spark, a remarkable career unfolded: from the May Day Concert in Piazza San Giovanni before hundreds of thousands of people, to international tours in Dubai, Tokyo, Osaka, Budapest, and Madrid. They have performed in iconic venues, from La Scala to the Greek Theatre in Taormina, and the Auditorium Parco della Musica. This ensemble has become recognized globally for its ability to redefine the language of the cello.

100 Cellos Morning Session

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Classical Rave Party was born from a unique period of Roman nightlife, between 2018 and 2019, when classical music invaded unconventional spaces and transformed them into incandescent venues, before Covid brought everything to a halt. Enrico Melozzi's vision was to break down the boundaries between academia and real life, between concert and party. Thousands of people, partying until dawn, demonstrated that the limit isn't in the music, but in the perspective of those who perform it.

Enrico Melozzi – Orchestra Notturna Clandestina

An unforgettable performance in Tokyo: Rudolf Weinsheimer, founding member of the ensemble, addresses Emperor Akihito, himself a cellist and regular concertgoer, in Japanese. When he speaks to him directly, the entire audience rises. Since their founding in 1972, the 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker have been sought after worldwide. With a repertoire ranging from classical music to jazz, tango, and even the Beatles, they inspire their fans – from children to emperors.

The 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

In his own words, "the mandolin is probably one of the most underestimated instruments in the world," but Avi Avital is on a mission to change that. As one of the world's leading mandolinists and the first to be nominated for a Grammy Award, the "explosively charismatic" (New York Times) Avi brings unbridled passion and virtuosity to his performances. In this program, he plucks seamlessly between centuries, exploring both Baroque and folk traditions as he makes his SPCO debut.

Between Worlds: Avi Avital Plays Bach and Vivaldi

University of Minnesota

Cellist Petar Pejčić traces the journey from quiet introspection to ecstatic transcendence in this meditative violoncello solo that sees the cello become an extension of the voice.

Cellist

Giovanni Sollima

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 15, 2026

100 Cellos Morning Session · Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Nov 15, 2026

100 Cellos Morning Session · Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone

Nov 15, 2026

Enrico Melozzi – Orchestra Notturna Clandestina · Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Dec 6, 2026

The 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker · Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

28 - 30 May, 2027

Between Worlds: Avi Avital Plays Bach and Vivaldi · Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

Past events

May 28, 2026

Sollima style · Opera Carlo Felice Genova

Feb 22, 2026

Avi Avital & Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra · Broadstage

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Cello Concerto No. 2 by Haydn

Opera Carlo Felice Genova

Conductor in Folktales for cello and orchestra by Sollima

Opera Carlo Felice Genova

About

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