Ben Michaels

cellist

by Emma Werner

biog.

Ben Michaels is a British cellist based in London, passionate about exploring all the ways the cello can be made useful to music.

Ben is equally likely to be found playing historical, modern or prepared instruments. In the last year, he has performed baroque opera with The English Concert, Berlioz with Simon Rattle and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Mozart piano concerti with András Schiff and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and world premieres with London Sinfonietta at the Cervantino Festival in Mexico.

He is committed to celebrating the creation of new music, regularly working with composers to premiere or commission new works. His debut solo album - for cello, by cellists - will be released by Delphian Records in September 2026; 6 newly commissioned solo works written by different cellist-composers. He was awarded the inaugural Keith Harvey Award by the British Cello Society in support of this project. Three years later he was invited to become an executive board member of the Society, to encourage other cellists to explore new music.

He is grateful for a musical life in which he enjoys collaborations that continually shape his way of playing. Previously, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music where he had regular lessons with Felix Schmidt, John Myerscough and Joseph Crouch. Long before making the decision to study and follow his passion in music, he was particularly thankful for the patience of his father, Joel Michaels, who taught him until he was a teenager.

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

projects.

for cello, by cellists

Over the past couple of years I have been commissioning solo pieces by cellist-composers (Kit Downes, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Zoë Martlew, Colin Alexander, Laura Moody & Jakob Kullberg). I was excited to premiere the set of 6 solo pieces in London on January 21st 2025 and will release recordings of the pieces with Delphian Records in 2026.

Recently, I became obsessed with contemporary (and historic) cellist-composers who wrote for solo cello. In particular, I was deeply inspired by Thomas Demenga’s enormous and fantastic piece, EFEU. I was struck by how novel these pieces often were and how inescapable it was that these cellists left something original of themselves, their sound and technique in the music. They demonstrated the incredible versatility of the instrument for different music and different musicians. Many pieces forced me to make sounds I had not yet imagined which continued to inspire and challenge me.

In my opinion, much of the most fantastic and inventive contemporary solo cello music is being played live by brilliant players who are able to make it themselves. I am lucky to know so many great cellists who play their own music. I managed to persuade a few to write something down for me.

The project ‘for cello, by cellists’ is the result of this curiosity. 6 solo pieces, written across a variety of styles by 6 different, brilliant musicians.