CMS - The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Acclaimed for his inspirational performances and eloquent musicianship, Paul Watkins enjoys a distinguished career both as concerto soloist and chamber musician. He performs regularly with all the major British orchestras and has performed with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Queensland Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra of Turin. A dedicated chamber musician, he has been a member of the Nash Ensemble since 1997 and he regularly performs with Menahem Pressler, Jaime Laredo, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, and Vadim Repin. Future highlights include solo recitals at King’s Place, London, and the Wigmore Hall. He will become the cellist of the Emerson String Quartet beginning in the 2013-14 season. Recent releases on the Chandos Records label include Britten’s Cello Symphony, the Delius and Rosza cello concertos, Martinu’s music for cello and piano, and Mendelssohn’s cello sonatas. Future releases will include the Elgar and Lutoslawski concertos, and a series of British cello sonatas. Since winning the 2002 Leeds Conducting Competition he has conducted all the major British orchestras and in the 2009-10 season became the first ever music director of the English Chamber Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Ulster Orchestra. He studied with William Pleeth, Melissa Phelps, and Johannes Goritzki, and at the age of 20 was appointed Principal Cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Watkins plays on a cello made by Domenico Montagnana and Matteo Goffriller in Venice, c.1730.

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