Biography

“Fascinating is the cello concerto, which Oren Shevlin plays with subtle delicacy and great tenderness in the first two movements. (…) With the poignant intimacy of his playing, Shevlin is far superior to many of his much more famous colleagues.”

Pizzicato Magazin

Oren Shevlin was born in 1969 in Oldham, England, he studied with Raphael Sommer, Boris Pergamenschikow and Frans Helmerson, at Chethams School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He also had lessons with Paul Tortelier, including an appearance on his BBC television masterclasses, playing Tortelier´s own Sonata.

He completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music, London, and at the Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, both times with the highest honours. He was successful also at the “International Paulo Cello Competition” in Helsinki 1996 (2nd Prize) as well as at the Rostropovich Cello Competition with the 2nd Grand Prix in 2001. He was a recipient on two occasions of the “Suggia” award.

With his duo partner, Mariko Ashikawa, he was a prize-winner at the ARD International Competition (Cello-Piano Duo) and their 2021 recital in Tokyo was broadcast on NHK TV.

In addition to giving numerous Solo performances with the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne (of which he has been principal cellist since 1998) he has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Finnish Radio Symphony, Gürzenich, Moscow New Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerakademie, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestre National de France. He has recorded works of Joseph Haydn for Naxos and appeared numerous times at the “Wigmore Hall” in London.

As a soloist he has collaberated with numerous conductors including Sir André Previn, Christoph Eschenbach, Mikhail Jurowskij, Eliahu Inbal, Peter Rundel, Jukka-Pekka Saraste,  Emilio Pomarico, Heinz Holliger, Lothar Zagrosek, Susanna Mälkki and Oliver Knussen.

In 2022 he made his debut with NHK Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ilan Volkov.

His chamber music partners have included Pinchas Zukerman, Fazil Say, Renaud Capuçon, Tianwa Yang, Elsbeth Moser, Christian Gerhaher and the Auryn quartet.

In recent seasons he made a highly regarded CD recording of the Schumann Cello Concerto under the baton of Heinz Holliger and his recording of solo works for Cello by Franco Donatoni was released on the “Edition Zeitklang” label.

He is a founding member of the “KammermusikKöln” chamber concert series. Oren Shevlin plays a Matteo Goffriller (1730) and a very rare John Frederick Lott cello (1850).

Oren Shevlin is Professor for Cello at the University for Music, Würzburg.

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