Biography
Praised by Charlotte Gardner (Gramophone Magazine) for ‘tremendous tonal beauty across his cello’s range, making it sing with hugely attractive mellow, melancholic passion’ and by Geoff Brown (The Times) for ‘technical excellence hand in hand with open emotion’, Tim Posner was the winner of the Thierry Scherz Prize at Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad 2023. He was also the first British cellist to have been awarded a prize at the International Karl Davidov Competition. Born in 1995, Tim has performed as soloist with orchestras including the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players with conductors such as Andrew Manze.
Tim recently made his debut concerto CD with the Bern Symphony Orchestra, recording works by Bloch, Bruch and Dohnanyi, which has received much critical acclaim. Michel Stockhem (Clic Musique) wrote ‘This new version could establish itself as a modern reference’ and Graham Rickson (The Arts Desk) described him as ‘magnificent throughout’. It was selected by The Strad as part of its ‘The Strad Recommends’ reviews and he has recently been made the ‘One to Watch’ feature in Gramaphone Magazine, as well as a Rising Star by both BBC Music Magazine and Classic FM.
Other recent highlights include recordings of chamber music by Boccherini with Steven Isserlis, of Cipriani Potter’s Concertante with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Peteris Vasks’ Plainscapes with Candida Thompson and The Netherlands Chamber Choir.
As a chamber musician, Tim plays in various ensembles and in 2010 founded The Teyber Trio with violinist, Tim Crawford and violist, Timothy Ridout, with whom he continues to perform internationally. He has performed at chamber music festivals including the Classiche Forme, Hindsgavl, IMS Prussia Cove (Open Chamber Music), Molyvos International Music Festival, Kronberg Chamber Music Connects the World, Musikdorf Ernen and Cheltenham festivals. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with musicians such as Steven Isserlis, Sir Andras Schiff, Gidon Kremer, Lars Vogt, Emmanuel Pahud and Beatrice Rana and as a guest in ‘Wigmore
Soloists’.
Tim is principal cellist of Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
He began playing the cello at the age of eight, studying with his mother, Julia Desbruslais and subsequently with Robert Max. He then studied in the 'Solo Class' of Prof. Leonid Gorokhov at the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover. He draws great inspiration from masterclasses with Steven Isserlis at Prussia Cove.