Lydia Shelley

Lydia Shelley, a British cellist residing in France since 2012, has made her mark in the world of music as a member of the Quatuor Voce, which she joined in 2013. With the Quatuor Voce, Lydia has had the pleasure of performing on international stages such as the Philharmonie de Paris, London’s Wigmore Hall, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Recognized as one of the world’s finest ensembles, their numerous recordings have been acclaimed by the international press. The Quatuor Voce also served as Ensemble in Residence at the Haute École de Musique de Genève from 2021 to 2024.

A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal College of Music, Lydia Shelley began her career with renowned orchestras such as the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as with the Finzi Quartet (2002-2012). Passionate about chamber music, Lydia is sought after for diverse projects, including recordings with the chamber orchestra Les Forces Majeures and collaborating with singer Benjamin Alunni on the project Confluences.

 In 2023, Lydia left the Quatuor Voce to explore new artistic horizons and develop her personal projects. The 2023-2024 season sees her collaborating with the renowned cellist Gary Hoffman on a unique project based on Bach’s Suites for solo cello, exploring the connections between solitude and sharing through these masterworks. For this project, Lydia has commissioned French composer Graciane Finzi to create three duos for two cellos, each mirroring two Bach suites. The world premiere of these duos will take place at the Festival d’Été de Venosc in July 2024, as well as sharing the complete Bach Suites with Gary Hoffman. The project will also travel to Scotland for the inaugural Arran International Festival of Chamber Music and Song in August 2024. This season, Lydia continues her collaboration with jazz trumpeter David Enhco on his project Family Tree, with concerts in France and Germany. The 2024-2025 season sees her perform as soloist with the Bardi Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra da Camera, and the Stamford Chamber Orchestra, interpreting concertos by Dvorak, Elgar, and Saint-Saëns in the United Kingdom.