for cello, by cellists
Some nice words
“Michaels displays phenomenal control and uncommon understanding of the cello’s limitless capabilities throughout the album.
Scarily impressive stuff”
“a tour de force performance from Michaels”
“Together these pieces, and performances, are a fascinating eye-opener:
same instrument, infinite possibilities.”
"Michaels gives strongly characterful, committed performances"
The Strad
"What Michaels has built here is plainly more than a technical exercise for cellists of the future ... he has tied the physical and the artistic together so tightly that it's hard to say where one ends and the other begins"
Chimeo
“The playing is terrific and full of vigour”
for cello, by cellists is a set of six solo pieces for cello, written by cellist composers. Commissioned in 2022, premiered in 2024 and released as my debut album with Delphian Records in 2026 the project celebrates how distinctive musical identities transform the same instrument into completely different sound worlds.
To find different perspectives of the cello I commissioned a spread of cellists including soloists, teachers, improvisers, theatre-makers and songwriters. The composers - Jakob Kullberg, Laura Moody, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Zoë Martlew, Kit Downes and Colin Alexander - each approach the cello from a distinct artistic perspective, revealing unexpected possibilities within a familiar instrument.
For me, the project is a celebration of the cello and the variety of musical personalities it is able to empower, and an investigation of how each composer is able to communicate their own unique voice using the same instrument - even when they aren’t the one performing. Spending time interpreting music from other musicians has shown me how much I value hearing someone's honest and original musical character in their own music. More than anything else, this project has reminded me of the value of playing as myself.
More about this project
Cellist Ben Michaels on commissioning music for cello
The Gramophone Classical Music Podcast, 18.09.26
Six composers, one instrument, incredible variety:
The Strad, 18.09.2026
For cello, by cellists: how six new cello pieces celebrate
the versatile identity of the cello
The Strad, 15.01.2025
Extract from 'Towards The Flame' by Colin Alexander