Jean-Guihen Queyras

Jean-Guihen Queyras is a French cellist born on March 11, 1967, in Montreal, Canada. He grew up in Algeria and France after his parents returned from Canada when he was five years old. Queyras is known for his versatile repertoire, ranging from classical composers such as Bach, Haydn, and Dvořák to contemporary composers like Kurtág, Boulez, and Dutilleux. He has been the solo cellist of the Ensemble intercontemporain, where he was mentored by Pierre Boulez, who chose him as his protégé and helped him receive the Glenn Gould Protégé Prize in 2002. Queyras is an accomplished chamber musician and has performed with various ensembles such as the Arcanto Quartet, which he founded. He has also collaborated with renowned orchestras worldwide, including the London Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Queyras currently plays on a 1696 Goffredo Cappa cello since November 2005. As an educator, Queyras is a professor at the Musikhochschule de Fribourg-en-Brisgau and co-director of the Rencontres musicales de Haute-Provence in Forcalquier. He has released numerous recordings, including Ligeti's Cello Concerto, Britten's Suites for Solo Cello, Boulez's Messagesquisse, and Bach's Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, which he recorded twice, in 2007 and 2023. His discography also includes collaborations with contemporary composers like Bruno Mantovani, Philippe Schoeller, and Gilbert Amy.