Berlin-based French-born multi-faceted musician Vladimir Waltham is equally at home on Cello, Baroque Cello, and all sizes of da Gamba instruments. Praised for his “luminous tone” by Gramophone, Vladimir is passionate about sharing the broadest possible musical palette, in repertoire spanning from the Middle Ages to collaborations with composers and world premieres as well as everything in between.

Vladimir divides his time between his Linos Piano Trio, his work as principal cello of La Serenissima, and his freelance performing and recording activities. 2022-23 sees him returning to London’s Wigmore Hall and Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo, as well as appearing in solo and chamber recitals and as a concerto soloist in many other venues and festivals from France to Thailand, via Germany, Poland, Greece and the UK. This season will also see the release of Vladimir’s first solo album Scordatura, as well as new chamber music releases from the Linos Piano Trio and La Serenissima.

Past seasons have seen Vladimir performing in many of the world’s great halls, such as London’s King’s Place, Southbank Centre and Barbican Hall, Berlin’s Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw aan t’Ij, Reykjavík’s Harpa, Tokyo’s Sumida Triphony Hall, and Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional. Other notable venues have included Concertgebouw Bruges, Volksbühne Berlin and Melbourne Recital Centre, with performances at festivals such as Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), City of London Festival (UK), Aldeburgh Music Festival (UK), Birdfoot Festival (USA), Podium Festival Haugesund (Norway), and Eilat Festival (Israel). Vladimir’s various recorded offerings have been well received by the press. The Linos Piano Trio’s latest published recording of orchestral arrangements, Stolen Music, received the chamber music award of the German critic’s Prize (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik); described as “exhilarating” and “inspiring” (Das Orchester), “superbly characterised” and “compelling” (***** BBC Music Magazine), Vladimir’s “soulful and atmospheric” playing was singled out by the American Record Guide, and the album was recommended in these terms by The Strad’s Charlotte Gardner: “I’ll cut right to the chase and say that this is among the most imaginative, inventive and gloriously surprising chamber releases I’ve heard in recent times […] It’s all compelling, dramatic, fascinating and unfailingly musical. What a ride.” Another review singled out Vladimir’s contribution to La Serenissima’s CD Vivaldi x2 in glowing terms: “[a] soloist to whom I could listen all day, cellist Vladimir Waltham; hear his gently grainy, luminous tone and his sighing trills, and fall in love.” (Gramophone)

Vladimir started learning the cello at the age of 5 in his native France, soon followed by piano lessons. At the age of 16, he realised that he found music much more fulfilling than his previous lifelong dream of becoming an astrophysicist, and decided to focus on the cello, moving to the UK to study first at the Yehudi Menuhin School, then at the Guildhall, from where he graduated in 2012 with a Master’s degree. That same year, he was selected by the Jumpstart foundation to receive the loan of a beautiful cello by Nicola Gagliano on which he plays a large part of his early music engagements. 2015 saw him take First Prize and the Audience Prize with his Linos Piano Trio at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and in 2016 he was awarded Third Prize at the International Bach Competition Leipzig on baroque cello.

When not busy traveling and performing, you can find Vladimir at home enjoying his love of cooking and of coffee, or taking his family on a hike in the mountains.

Last updated 29 Nov 2022
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