LYDIA SHELLEY

British cellist Lydia Shelley was born into a family of musicians and immersed in opera from a young age. Early on, Lydia developed a profound love for chamber music, particularly the string quartet genre. This passion was nurtured through her studies with two inspirational mentors: thenlate Christopher Rowland of the Fitzwilliam Quartet and Günter Pichler of the legendary Alban Berg Quartet.

Lydia completed her formal education in the United Kingdom under the guidance of Hannah Roberts at the Royal Northern College of Music and Richard Lester at the Royal College of Music and began her professional career as a founding member of the Finzi Quartet (2002-2012).

Upon relocating to France, she joined the internationally acclaimed Paris-based Quatuor Voce, with whom she performed for a decade at prestigious venues including the Philharmonie de Paris, London's Wigmore Hall, and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. The ensemble’s numerous recordings garnered widespread acclaim from international critics, and they held the position of Ensemble in Residence at the Haute École de Musique de Genève from 2021 to 2024.

In 2023, Lydia chose to embark on new artistic paths, and left the Quatuor Voce to reconnect with the broader repertoire of her instrument and explore innovative projects. In 2024, she collaborated with world-renowned cellist Gary Hoffman on a Bach-focused initiative, presenting all six Suites for solo cello in a shared cycle, alongside a specially commissioned work by French composer Graciane Finzi for two cellos. Lydia also made a notable appearance at Mexico’s Festival PAAX GNP, performing Kodály’s Sonata for Solo Cello, and co-founded the Trio Zénon with violinist Charlotte Juillard and pianist Emmanuel Christien.

The 2024-2025 season featured Lydia as a soloist with the Bardi Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra da Camera in the United Kingdom, performing concertos by Dvořák and Elgar. June 2025 saw her return to Mexico to perform Elgar's Cello Concerto under the baton of Alondra de la Parra.

The 2025-2026 season includes Lydia’s debut with the Folkestone Symphony Orchestra in Schumann's Cello Concerto and a return to the Stamford Chamber Orchestra for Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto. Additionally, she will begin a collaboration as cellist and musical director with the French theatre company Collectif Eudaimonia in a new production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

In 2027, Lydia Shelley will record Beethoven’s complete Cello Sonatas for Harmonia Mundi with Belgian pianist Julien Libeer. This collaboration brings together two artists deeply immersed in Beethoven’s chamber music: Shelley draws on two decades of performing his string quartets at the highest level, while Libeer’s acclaimed recording of the complete Violin Sonatas was hailed by the international press for its insight and refinement.

Lydia performs on a French cello crafted circa 1670, and a bow from 1855 by Joseph Henry.