Hi! Wonderful to meet you here!

My life has centered around playing and teaching in equal measures! I never thought that I would love teaching so much, but it is genuinely as important to me as playing is. I can not imagine one without the other!

I studied cello at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music from 1984 until 1994 with Melissa Phelps and William Pleeth as my cello teachers. I then went on to study with Heinrich Schiff for 6 years, first at the Mozaerteum in Salzburg where he was assisted by Clemens Hagen and then at the Hochschule in Vienna, when the whole class moved there in 1997. I also took yearly masterclasses with Steven Isserlis at the Prussia Cove IMS from 1994 until 2000. During this time I also worked closely with Gary Hofman, Frans Helmerson, Bernard Greenhouse, Boris Pergamenschikow, Louise Hopkins, David Dolan and Ferenc Rados, among others.

In July 2000 I was fortunate to win the Young Concert Artists Trust in London and in January 2001, the Young Concert Artists in New York. These two agencies launched my career around the world, during which time I played with orchestras as soloist such as London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Dresdner Philharmonie, Bielefed Symphonie Orchester, Cape Town Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Kammer Orchester, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Prager Philharmonkier, Sofia Philharmoniker, London Mozart Players, New York Chamber Orchestra in venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Festival Hall, London Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall, Birmingham Concert Hall, Munich Prinzregenten Theatre, Munich Hercules Saal, Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Wien - Mozart, Schubert und Grosser Saal, Lincoln Centre, New York, Tokyo Bunkakaikan, Tokyo Concert Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Paris Louvre, Monte Carlo Theatre, Madrid Concert Hall, Madrid Radio Centre.

I have always loved chamber music and have had the joy to perform and work closely with many musicians including Yehudi Menuhin, Ivry Gitlis, Gidon Kremer, Heinrich Schiff, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Mischa Maisky, Steven Isserlis, Christian Tetzlaff, the Belcea Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet, Endellion Quartet, Michael Collins, Daniel Hope, Eugene Istomin, Francois LeLeux, Emmanuel Pahud, Sergei Leiferkus, Ton Kopmann, Sir Williard White, Dame Felicity Lott, and James Gilchrist. I have also been a member of many chamber ensembles including The London Conchord Ensemble, Trio Dimension, Trio Apaches and Trio Salieca. I have recorded around 35 CD´s on labels such as Orchid, Naxos, Decca, Paledino, Quartz and Signum.

In 2004 I started teaching at the Royal College of Music in London, where I have been fortunate to work since then with many wonderful young cellists who have gone on to have wonderful careers in music in all areas, especially in fine orchestras, (both principals and tutti positions), full time chamber musicians and also full time soloists. I also had the joy to teach at the Yehudi Menuhin School as principal teacher from 2004 until 2018. Working with students from the age of 8 up to 18 was so exciting as you could see how they turn from young people into responsible adults and musicians thinking fully for themselves, playing with a genuine love and passion for music. Many students from the Menuhin School have gone on to study with me at the Royal College in London. Since 2018 I have also had the fortune to join the roster of Professors at the Cologne Hochschule.

When I was studying and starting my career, I never thought that teaching was to become such a central part of my life. Exchanging ideas, helping people find their own identity with music and helping them solve technical problems and overcoming obstacles is one of the most satisfying and rewarding things in life. The phrase that "when I teach I learn and when I learn, I teach", is absolutely true. It is not my phrase, but I completely agree and can see more and more, how true this is!

I would be thrilled to hear from you and would enjoy helping you fulfil your potential, as much as I can. I used to not believe in online teaching but since this year has caused us to spend so much time in this way, I can now see that there is much benefit from online teaching. I encourage my students to send me a recording in advance of each lesson, if possible, so that I can take the time to listen carefully with good quality of sound and already start to formulate ideas in advance of the lesson of what to work on.

Very best wishes and I look forward to hearing from you!
Thomas