Visiting Professors in 2025
Since we began in 1980 we have welcomed the following great cellists & double bassists...Liam Abramson, Catherine Ardagh-Walter, Alexander Baillie, Lowri Blake, Alexander Boyarsky, Christopher Bunting, Colin Carr, Natalie Clein, Robert Cohen, Sebastian Comberti, Pierre Doumenge, Hans Erik Deckert, Joan Dickson, Emma Ferrand, Leonid Gorokhov, Lionel Handy, Richard Harwood, Tim Hugh, Michael Hurwitz, Guy Johnston, Jakob Kullberg, Mats Lidström, Thomas Martin, Graham Mitchell, Hassan Moataz El Molla, Corinne Morris, Simon Morris, Chi-chi Nwanoku, Hans Nygaard, Hannah Roberts, Nicholas Roberts, Andrew Shulman, Anna Shuttleworth, Philip Sheppard, Derek Simpson, David Strange, Neil Tarlton, Nick Trygstad, Eduardo Vassallo, Raphael Wallfisch and Sung-Won Yang
Catherine Ardagh-Walter
Catherine Ardagh-Walter was born in Winchester, Hampshire. She graduated from the Royal College of Music in 1989 and went on to perform as a duo-recitalist with the pianist, Emily Jeffrey. Performances included a series of recitals at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, Live Broadcasts on Classic FM and a debut recital at the Purcell Room.
Catherine took up her post as ‘cellist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1995. She loves her job and maintains that Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is the best office in the country. In addition to her teaching work at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and University of Birmingham, she continues to perform as a chamber musician and regularly plays as part of the CBSO’s Centrestage Chamber Music Series.
After music, gardening is a big part of her life and she loves growing too many vegetables for her family. Catherine plays on an Italian ‘cello made in 1560 by Gaspar da Salo.