Raphael Bell

SCMS Debut: 2016 Summer Festival

Raphael Bell is principal cello of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Belgium, guest professor at the Antwerp Conservatory, co-founder and co-director of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, and co-Artistic Director of La Loingtaine in Montigny-sur-Loing, France. He has performed at Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Salle Gaveau, Berlin Philharmonie, Köln Philharmonie, Luzerner Theater, the American Academy in Rome, Tokyo Suntory Hall, and Kyoto Concert Hall, and at festivals including Ferrara Musica, Wiener Festwochen, Elba Festival, Sonoro Musikland, Ravinia, Verbier and Resonance Festival Belgium. He has given many world premieres including Olli Mustonen’s Triptych for three cellos with Steven Isserlis, and chamber music by Sebastian Currier, Thomas Adès, Paola Prestini, Jeremy Turner, Soren Nils Eichberg, Mansour Hosseini, John D’Earth, Wim Hendrickx, and will be premiering a string quintet by Colin Jacobsen with Brooklyn Rider in September. Recent solo concertos include Beethoven Triple concerto with the Virginia Symphony and Eric Jacobsen, Lalo concerto with Antwerp Symphony and Lionel Bringuier, Saint-Saens concerto with the Brasov Philharmonic, as well as Boccherini and Vivaldi concertos with Bruges Chamber Players. Raphael has given masterclasses at the University of Texas, McDuffie Center at Mercer University, Lemmens Institute, Belgium Cello Society, COSCyL in Salamanca, La Loingtaine, and travels each year to teach in Japan. He has led student orchestral projects at the Musiq3 Festival, Royal Bruxelles Conservatory, the Antwerp Symphony Academy, and at La Loingtaine. Raphael studied at The Juilliard School with Harvey Shapiro, and later with Mario Brunello, Steven Isserlis and Ferenc Rados.