Ben Michaels is a British cellist based in London. He began learning cello with his father, Joel Michaels, and later studied with Felix Schmidt and John Myerscough at the Royal Academy of Music. 

 

Ben is passionate about chamber and contemporary music. He was a founding member of the Hill Quartet, with whom he was a Chamber Fellow at the Academy 2020-22. Ben enjoys a varied chamber recital schedule alongside solo performing; he has a particular interest in commissioning and supporting new works written for solo cello. In 2022 he was awarded the inaugural Keith Harvey Memorial Award by the London Cello Society, which will support the commission of a set of 6 short solo works written by a selection of cellist-composers. In addition to these personal projects, he regularly performs with various chamber and symphony orchestras around the UK, on both baroque and modern cellos.

 

At the Academy, Ben was awarded the Alexander Kelly, Lesley Alexander and Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Awards in recognition of his achievements during his degrees. His studies were made possible by generous support from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust (Derek Butler Award), Help Musicians UK (Ian Fleming Award), The Janatha Stubbs Foundation, The Craxton Memorial Trust, The Emanuel Hurwitz Chamber Music Trust, The VCT Trust, The ACH Crisford Charitable Trust, The Peter Adams Trust and The Tom Cocklin Memorial Trust.

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Ben plays on a Gaetano Gadda cello, generously provided on loan by an anonymous benefactor.

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Before exploring his passion for music, Ben studied Biochemistry at Clare College, Cambridge.