Rebecca Gilliver
Cello
Rebecca Gilliver is the principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra. Originally joining the orchestra in 2001 as co-principal, she progressed to the principal seat in 2009. She has been lucky enough to work with conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink and Sir Simon Rattle, and perform as concerto soloist with Sir Mark Elder, Parvo Jarvi, Francois Xavier Roth and Sir Antonio Pappano. Rebecca has also played guest principal with orchestras all over the world, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the World Orchestra for Peace.
She studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal Northern College of Music, completing her studies at the Hochschule fur Musik in Basel. Her teachers have included Melissa Phelps, Moray Welsh, William Pleeth, Ralph Kirshbaum and Thomas Demenga.
Early success in both national and international competitions led to critically acclaimed recital debuts at the Wigmore Hall, London and Carnegie Hall, New York. She has played at many major musical festivals including Bath, Bergen and the RNCM International Cello Festival and performs extensively as a recitalist. As a chamber musician, Rebecca has played and recorded with major artists such as the Nash Ensemble, Roger Vignoles and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and is a regular participant at the renowned IMS Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music.
Rebecca is passionate about teaching and is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has given classes at the Royal Academy, Royal College and Royal Northern and is a regular coach at Alpine Kammermusik. Austria and the Aboyne Cello Festival. She also runs her own cello course, The Dorset Cello Classes, which caters for advanced conservatoire students as well as adult amateurs. The pandemic provided an opportunity to expand online teaching internationally and Rebecca has given classes for the Santa Barbara Music Academy of the West, Whitman College, and the New World Symphony orchestral academy. Rebecca runs a small local outreach programme, Worlds End Music, bringing together her local community with local musicians in Chelsfield, Kent.