London – United Kingdom

Raphael Wallfisch is one of the world’s most celebrated cellists performing on the international stage today, born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch.   

He has enjoyed a global career, much loved in his home country where he has forged close relationships with orchestras including the LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, LONDON PHILHARMONIC, PHILHARMONIA, BBC SYMPHONY, BBC PHILHARMONIC, HALLÉ, BBC NOW, ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL, BBC SCOTTISH and ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC and is respected around the world, working throughout Europe with the LEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS, KONZERTHAUSORCHESTER BERLIN, WDR SYMPHONY, RAI TORINO, MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO, GULBENKIAN, BERGEN PHILHARMONIC, GOTHENBURG SYMPHONY, LAHTI SYMPHONY and BUDAPEST FESTIVAL orchestras, and further afield with the LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC, MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA, SYDNEY SYMPHONY, NEW ZEALAND SYMPHONY, SINGAPORE SYMPHONY and many others, working with such leading conductors as Łukasz Borowicz, Martyn Brabbins, Nicholas Collon, Andrew Davis, Neeme Järvi, Kirill Karabits, Andrew Litton, Ed Spanjaard, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Bramwell Tovey.

Wallfisch has developed an extraordinary discography which has included a long relationship with CHANDOS, a complete Vivaldi series on NAXOS with Nicholas Kraemer, and with EMI, DECCA, BLACK BOX, ASV, CPO and NIMBUS recordings which encompass both mainstream and countless lesser-known works by Barber, Dohnanyi, Hindemith and Respighi amongst many other and is considered to include the benchmark recording of the Martinů concertos with the CZECH PHILHARMONIC and Jiří Bělohlávek. He is a particular champion of British repertoire, recording concertos by Bax, Bliss, Britten, Delius, Finzi and Moeran, also Walton for CHANDOS’ acclaimed Walton Edition.

He is dedicated to expanding the cello repertoire, working closely with Britain’s leading composers, many whom have written works especially for him including Peter Maxwell Davies, Kenneth Leighton, Giles Swayne, John Tavener and James MacMillan who’s works he has recorded with the BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY with Osmo Vänskä. He plays regularly at the JÜDISCHES MUSUEM BERLIN and is currently focused on a series of recordings of cello works by exiled Jewish composers for the CPO label entitled VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS and now joined by the recording of a new work IN EXILE by Jonathan Dove for cello, baritone and orchestra, recorded with Simon Keenlyside, the CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY and Gergely Madaras released in 2023 on LYRITA.

As a soloist and consummate chamber musician he has toured worldwide, performing at many of the world’s prestigious halls and festivals including the CONCERTGEBOUW, WIENER KONZERTHAUS and BERLINER PHILHARMONIE, alongside regular festival appearances including SPOLETO, SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN, ENESCU and PABLO CASALS, ADELAIDE and PERTH FESTIVAL as well as THE BBC PROMS, ALDEBURGH and EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL.

He is the founder of the Amici della Musica quartet and his Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch with Hagai Shaham (violin) and Arnon Erez (piano) has received critical acclaim, invited for the Beethoven 2020 anniversary to perform the complete Beethoven trios at WIGMORE HALL.

He plays the 1733 Montagnana “Ex-Romberg” and a modern cello built for him by Patrick Robin.

© Weaver Artist Management 2024

RECORDINGS

All enquiries to Jeff Weaver at Weaver Artist Management