Thomas Isaac - 2022

Following his postgraduate studies with Christoph Richter at the Royal Academy of Music, Thomas was appointed co-principal cellist of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, a position he combines with regular chamber music and solo performances.

Thomas has won numerous prizes and competitions, including the North London Festival Cello Prize, the Norfolk Young Musician competition and the Herbert Walenn Cello Prize at the Academy for a performance of Bach’s Cello Suite No.2 in D minor. He was awarded the Moir Carnegie Prize at the Royal Academy for his undergraduate final recital. He has participated in masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Marc Coppey, Steven Doane, Philippe Muller and Menahem Pressler, the legendary pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio.

Recent performances include Schumann’s Cello Concerto at the Musique en Re Festival, Haydn’s Concerto No. 2 in D major with the Academy of St Thomas, the Dvorak and Elgar concertos, unaccompanied Bach at The Grange Festival, Penderecki’s ‘Per Slava’ at the Shanghai International Cello Festival, concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall and the Tivoli Festival Copenhagen with Rachel Podger, and chamber music by Colin Matthews at the Proms, broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Outside of his work with BSO, Thomas is much in demand as a principal cellist, most recently with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, BBC Symphony orchestras, and has appears regularly in the LSO. Also a proficient baroque cellist, Thomas has played continuo in the Royal Academy/Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata Series.

Thomas’s horizons stretch far beyond classical music: he plays trombone with Moriah, a band broadly based on Jewish Klezmer.

Thomas is extremely grateful for the support of his studies and career development from the Michael Badminton Young Musicians trust, the Countess of Munster Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, Clive & Chris Bolton and Sally & Jonathan Wortley.
Thomas plays on a fine modern cello built in 2019 by Frank Ravatin, kindly provided by Lewis and Hilary Jarrett.