Classic Cello International Competition Continues with Strong Second Day at London’s Royal College of Music
Organised by CMDI Group under the leadership of President Konstantin Ishkhanov and Artistic Director Alexander Chaushian, the competition has brought together 40 exceptional cellists from across the globe, each vying for a share of a prize fund exceeding €130,000, alongside a host of Special Prizes and professional opportunities.
As the First Round progresses, the breadth of talent on display is proving to be both striking and diverse, with candidates presenting programmes that include the Prelude from one of J. S. Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, along with works from a curated selection spanning composers such as Claude Debussy, Fanny Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Rita Strohl, Benjamin Britten, Sofia Gubaidulina, and György Ligeti, amongst others.
The distinguished jury panel, chaired by Chaushian and comprising leading figures from across the international music industry, including Dorran Alibaud (France), Deborah Borda (USA), Angela Dixon (UK), Kathryn Enticott (UK), Michael Haefliger (Switzerland), Ursula Haselböck (Austria), Paul Hughes (UK), Florian Leonhard (UK), Julian Lloyd Webber (UK), and James Williams (UK), continue to oversee proceedings, bringing their wealth of experience to bear upon the event, and ensuring that each performance is evaluated with rigour and artistic sensitivity.
“We are very proud to be here”, declared Alibaud. “This competition has one of the most high-end jury panels in the world, with leaders of many top-class festivals and orchestras, and it’s very impressive. So far we are just in the second day and we have already seen a lot of goodquality musicians, and we still have two more full days to go so we are very optimistic! There is a wide range of candidates here and you can see the difference between them. We have people of the new generation, and it’s very refreshing to see how they adapt to the new techniques and the new culture, and then you can also hear some veterans who are a bit more experienced, so all in all it’s a perfect mix really. The fact that the competition is open to older people is also great, and benefits everyone ultimately, because sometimes people can also develop a bit later in life, so we are very satisfied with the level of diversity that we have.”
“For us it’s clear that there is a gap in the classical music scene that this competition fills”, he continued. “We are very grateful that the Royal College of Music is hosting us, and to have all of these participants coming from all over the world to such a beautiful place. For us in the jury we are very keen to help so that we can hopefully see this competition sustained into the future. We have the world's best young cello soloists here, and hopefully it will remain a platform for them and others like them for years to come, so we are very glad and very proud to be part of this event.”
Beyond the performances themselves, the second day further underscored the competition’s role as a meeting point for emerging talent and established expertise, fostering a unique environment in which musicians from varied backgrounds and traditions can engage, exchange, and inspire one another.
“It’s been a great privilege and honour to be part of Classic Cello”, said Waynne Wooseok Kwon, one of the participants at the contest. “It's amazing that such an event to celebrate the cello is happening in London, and it’s really nice for me to be a part of this, especially because I live in London! It’s been a really positive experience so far, everything has been very well run, and when you look at the jury list it’s quite impressive to see. Some of them are people who you grow up listening to recordings of when you're a little kid, so seeing them in person is quite something. When you’re on stage you have to block it out, but then when I finish and I bow I say ‘Oh yes, I played for that person’, and it’s quite surreal!”With two days of the First Round now complete, the level of competition continues to intensify, setting the stage for the remaining performances in this opening phase, which will run until the 29th of March.
Following this, selected candidates will advance to the Second Round, taking place from the 31st of March to the 2nd of April, before the competition culminates in a Final Round featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, under the baton of conductor Tomàs Grau (Spain). For all the latest updates about Classic Cello 2026, please follow the official website.
