Paul Watkins recent recording of the Cello Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic under Rumon Gamba must rate as one of the highlights for Moeran lovers of recent years. The recording was specially made for the Composer of the Week programmes. Read more about the series here, and read and listen to an exclusive interview with Paul Watkins here.

Paul Watkins is one of Britain's foremost cellists. Born in 1970, he studied cello with William Pleeth, Melissa Phelps and Johannes Goritzki and first came to public attention as winner of the string section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1988.

At the exceptionally young age of 20, Paul was appointed principal cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a position which he held for seven years. During this time he worked as Guest Principal Cellist with many of the UK's leading orchestras such as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and English Chamber Orchestras. He has made many television programmes and radio broadcasts for the BBC. In July 1999 he was featured in Masterworks, a major documentary series for BBC 2, performing the Elgar Cello Concerto in a programme devoted to the composer.

Paul's concerto performances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra include the Elgar Concerto at the Proms conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, Strauss Don Quixote at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by Alexander Lazarev, Lutoslawski Cello Concerto at the Proms conducted by Tadaaki Otaka and at the Barbican conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. He has given numerous performances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under, amongst others, Tadaaki Otaka, Mark Elder, Richard Hickox and Vernon Handley, and has also appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra and the Sonderjyfands Symfoniorkester, conducted by Iona Brown.

His BBC recordings include the Haydn C Major Concerto with Mark Wigglesworth, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with Sir Andrew Davis, the Sullivan Concerto conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Schumann Concerto with both Paul Mann and Nicholas Braithwaite. In a review of his world premiere CD of Takemitsu Orion and Pleiades, Gramophone stated, "this performance, with Paul Watkins an ultra-refined soloist, makes the best possible case for the Takemitsu style".

Alongside his concerto appearances, Paul is a dedicated chamber musician. He has also performed in two American concert tours with the Musicians from Marlboro, prompting the Philadelphia Inquirer to write: "No one could miss the extraordinary eloquence and projection of British cellist Paul Watkins... his playing had such personality and urgency". He gave highly acclaimed debut recitals in New York and Boston with pianist Ruth Laredo in 1995, and returned to the USA in 1997 for another New York recital, playing both cello and piano in an all Brahms programme.

As a conductor he has worked with the English Chamber Orchestra, the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, and most recently the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra in Norway and the Umea Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. He has also conducted the Festival Orchestra of Le Domaine Forget in Quebec for four seasons, including a performance of Beethoven's Triple Concerto conducting from the piano.

Engagements last season included a return to the Proms to perform the Sullivan Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, performances with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Dvorak), Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Tchaikovsky), BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Dvorak and Poul Ruders) as well as recitals at the South Bank Centre, Harrogate, Selwyn College Cambridge and several appearances at the Wigmore Hall. This season begins with a tour of the Far East with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performing Dvorak and Elgar, performances of Saint-Saens No 1 with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Shostakovich No 1 with the Sonderjyllands Symfoniorkester in Denmark. He will give further recitals at the Wigmore Hall with pianist Ian Brown, at the South Bank Centre and chamber music concerts at the Y in New York.

Paul is a Professor at the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music. He plays on a cello made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in Paris in 1846.

Artist's official biography, 2000/1