Spotlight on... Andrei Ioniță

Here is a cellist of superb skill, musical imagination and a commitment to music of our time.

It’s been a pivotal few years for cellist Andrei Ioniță who, at still only 25, is proving himself to be one of the most formidable young talents on the classical circuit. First rising to international attention four years ago as winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Andrei was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2016-18, and is now firmly in demand with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors.

His debut solo album, Oblique Strategies, was released on Orchid Classics earlier this year, and pairs works by Bach and Kodály alongside living composers Brett Dean and Svante Henryson. Bold choices for a debut release, no doubt, but one that has been unanimously praised for technical prowess, character and musicality and reflects Andrei’s commitment to a range of musical styles.

The release takes its title from Dean’s Eleven Oblique Strategies, which draws on British musician Brian Eno (a founder member of glam-rock band Roxy Music) and German-born British visual artist Peter Schmidt’s cards of the same name. Originally composed for the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann International Cello Competition, where Andrei took home second prize, this release marks the world premiere recording of the work.

“I always wanted to find an opportunity to present it to the public,” Andrei told Presto Classical in March 2019, “it is contemporary music but at the same time there are popular 1970s influences, so it’s actually very groovy! In the later movements there are a lot of complex rhythms, which are almost jazzy at some points; there’s a huge tremolo movement, and some incredible ghostly effects.” For the 19/20 season, Andrei is Artist in Residence with the Hamburg Symphoniker; a yearlong relationship which will see him perform several concertos, from CPE Bach to Dutilleux, via Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. Prior to his residency, Andrei joined the orchestra for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with conductor Ion Marin and participated in the Martha Argerich Festival Hamburg alongside Stephen Kovacevich and Guy Braunstein.

Elsewhere on the concert platform, Andrei has built a strong relationship with the BBC Philharmonic – performing with them in Manchester and in his native Romania – and recently gave debut appearances with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Danish National Symphony. He looks forward to working with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Detroit Symphony for the first time this coming season, and returning to the Wigmore Hall for a collaboration with Stephen Hough.