10 Famous Male Cellists To Look For In 2023

Andrei Ionita is one of the famous male cellists known for winning the first prize in the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition. 

Ionita is a Romanina cello player who has performed at the famous Carnegie hall, Japan tour, and Kissinger Sommer Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and other German festivals. 

Ionita began learning music at the age of five, he started by learning piano and began his lessons at cello when he was eight years old. The musician studied at the Berlin University of the Arts. Andrei has performed in multiple competitions he won first prize in the Aram Khatchaturian International competition in 2009. 

The cellist has performed in multiple concerts including Munchener Philharmoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Andrei scored a scholarship from Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben and performed violoncello by Giovanni Battista Rogeri.

Sheku Kanneh Mason is a famous male cellist who is heralded as a prodigy in the playing of a cello. 

The 23-year-old is the first black musician to win the award of BBC Young Musician Award in 2016. The cellist also played in the wedding of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle. The artist gained mainstream popularity after he and his siblings went on to compete in Britain's Got Talent in 2015.

The classical cellist grew up in Britain, Nottingham. Sheku was a cast member in a documentary titled "Young Gifted and Classical: The Making of a Maestro." He did not shy from the media as the artist welcomes the spotlight. He performed at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). 

The musician was appointed at the Royal Academy of Music in 2022, he took the position of Visiting Professor of Performance Mentoring. He also participates in altruistic activities of donating to charitable organizations. 

The artist has released two albums "Inspiration (2016)" and "Elgar (2020)." The Elgar was able to attract music fans besides classical music for the exuberant performance and musical composition. 

The famous male cellist from 2 Cellos is Stjepan Hauser along with his partner Luka Sulic. 

The Croatian cellist and his partner have changed the game by making covers of popular songs with the help of the cello. These artists are gaining mainstream popularity by breaking the conventional norm of playing the cello. 

Hauser along with Luka has performed in multiple countries and famous the halls such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Center, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. 

The 36-year-old artist was selected to perform at the gala of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Hauser has collaborated with multiple cellists like Mstislav Rostropovich, Heinrich Schiff, Arto Noras, and Thomas Demenga. 

Before forming 2Cellos the artist was in a group with Slovenian violinist Lana Trotovsek and Japanese pianist Yoko Misumi; the group was known as Greenwich Trio.

Hauser's success began after leaving the group and joining fellow cellists Luka where the duo formed a Youtube account that has amassed more than 680 million views. 

Luka Sulic is a famous male cellist from Slovenian Croatia. Sulic is a member of 2Cellos alongside Stjepan Hauser. 

The artist owns dual citizenship. He holds multiple prizes for his first position in competitions such as the International Cello Competition in Warsaw (2009), the New Talent Competition (2006), and first prize at the Royal Academy of Music (2011).

The musician's father and mother were the inspiration behind his music career, as he was taught by his parents from his early childhood. He became the youngest student to enter into Music Academy at Zagreb. 

Sulic's success came after he joined hands with his fellow rival Stjepan Hauser. Luka has now released five albums of different genres such as pop, rock, classical, and movie themes. 

The first album of 2Cellos debuted in the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Digital Songs Chart in the Top 100. His solo album Vivaldi: The four Seasons achieved first position in 2019.

Guy Johnston is a famous male cellist from Britain who is the recipient of the award BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2000.

The cellist started learning and singing with the cello at the age of eight. The artist debuted playing the Cello Concerto in The Proms also the musician is named "Young British Classical Performer" in Classic Brit Awards 2002. 

The 41-year-old cellist has performed throughout the Britain orchestras. Johnston has gone on multiple tours throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Far East Asia. 

The artist was raised in a family of musicians. He is the founding member of the Aronowitz Ensemble, and he was called into BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme. 

Guy has released nine albums and one eps. He is a respected member of the British Symphony Orchestra. The artist performed in the world premiere of Charlotte Bray's cello concert in 2016. 

Julian Lloyd Webber is a famous male cellist who is known for his foundation In Harmony which offers a music education program. 

Webber is a legacy, his mother and father were both musicians. His father William Lloyd Webber was a music teacher, his mother was a piano teacher and his younger brother Andrew Lloyd Webber is a composer. 

The 71-year-old cellist made his debut in Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in September 1972. He collaborated with different musicians and conductors throughout his career. 

The artist was responsible for creating a BRIT award-winning recording of Elgar Cello Concerto. Webber also received a distinguished award for the musician in 2014 titled the"Incorporated Society of Musicians.

The artist has multiple musical instrumental recordings including his seven solo cello recording from 1976-1993. The cellist was honored with Officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) on his 2021 Birthday for his contribution to music. 

Steven Isserlis is a famous male cellist known for his esteemed career as a chamber musician, educator, author, broadcaster, and soloist. 

The 64-year-old musician has had multiple accolades throughout his career. He debuted in British Promos in 1988 he was known for his cello composition and orchestra performance. 

The artist is an advocate of underprivileged musicians and composers who are unable to find a well-known audience. He is also the author of two books written for children about the lives of famous composers. 

Steven received high honor as the position of the commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1998. Hit noteworthy works include his cello recordings with Bach which were celebrated with multiple awards. 

Isserlis received the Robert Schumann Prize from the city of Zwickau, He was also nominated for the Grammy awards for the recordings of Haydn's Cello Concerts in 2017. 

Truls Mork is a famous male cellist from Norway. Mork is a classical cellist who was taught music by his parents from an early age. 

The artist began his studies at Frans Helmersong at Edsberg Music Institute. He is aficionado of Mstislav Rostropovich a Russian Cellist and he was tutored by cellist Natalia Shakhovskaya in a Russian School. 

Mork was the first cellist from Scandinavia to reach the cello competition Tchaikovsky in Moscow in 1982. He participated in the Naumburg competition in New York and won the second prize in 1986. 

Truls has multiple award-winning works of solo Cello from Bach's suites. The cellist was also able to create a music foundation for International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger. 

The musician holds a professor's position at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. Mork was also awarded Sibelius Prize in 2010 for his musical contribution. 

The honorary artist received a life-threatening infection in his central nervous system in 2006 due to a tick bite, he was sent to the US for treatment thus the cellist was unable to perform for 18 months due to his recovery. 

Mischa Maisky is a famous male cellist born in Latvian SSR and emigrated to Israel. Maisky was arrested in Russia in 1970 and spent 18 months in a labor camp. 

The cellist migrated to Israel in 1972 to overcome the ordeal and threats of Russia but presently, the musician lives in Belgium. He further expanded his learnings in cello with Gregor Piatigorsky in Los Angeles. 

The 75-year-old artist performed in Carnegie Hall for the first time in 1973. He was able to perform in multiple places like America, London, and Europe. 

Maisky also returned to Russia in 1995 to perform in Russian National Orchestra. He has worked with musicians and pianists such as Martha Argerich, Radu Lupu, Nelson Freire, Peter Serkin, Lang Lang, and Zubin Mehta. 

The artist has recorded multiple solo Cello with Johann Sebastian Bach. He has participated in concerts with Ludwig van Beethoven with cello sonatas and variations. 

Mischa is often criticized for his consistent use of vibrato which brings loud sound while playing music. However, the general audience seems to love his playing style, as the artist has garnered 55 million views on Youtube while playing solo cello. 

Yo-Yo Ma is a famous male cellist well-known for his solo cello performances and recordings of his classical repertoire. 

The 67-year-old artist is well-endowed and recorded ninety albums throughout his career. He has received nineteen Grammy awards for his work related to his album, ensemble, and solo performances. 

Ma has experimented with American music such as bluegrass, Chinese melodies, tangos, and Brazillian music. The musician has collaborated with multiple artists from diverse genres including singers like Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, and James Taylor. 

Yo-Yo's accolades include the Glenn Gloud Prize in 1999, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, and the Polar Music Prize in 2012. 

Ma has worked in multiple Hollywood and Chinese movies such as John Willams's soundtrack for Seven Years in Tibet and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. 

The Cellist was also appointed to the President's Committee under the tenure of Barack Obama for Arts and Humanities. Ma is ingenious touching of multiple genres of music with the inclusion of soulful cello.