Who we are
We are the newly-established British Cello Society, formerly known as the London Cello Society, and now the dedicated home for the United Kingdom’s ever-expanding community of cellists. As a registered charity, we are guided by a Governing Board and supported by an Advisory Board, working together to promote and enrich cello playing across the UK.
National Music Museum’s Andrea Amati ‘King’ cello (mid-1500s) – Bill Willroth, Sr./National Music Museum. Read more here.
A home for every cellist in the UK
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, a student, teacher, adult learner, or simply a cello enthusiast – our doors are open to all. We celebrate the rich heritage of classical cello music while embracing diverse traditions including jazz, free improvisation, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Southeast Asian melodies, and Middle Eastern folk sounds.
Through your membership, we’re able to offer educational events, practice and performance gatherings, curated resources in our members’ area, and regular updates on what’s happening in the wider cello world. We invite you to subscribe and support our mission – together, we can grow this vibrant community and bring more of the cello’s magic into every corner of the country.
Honorary Board
Yo-Yo Ma – Honorary Patron
Ralph Kirshbaum – Honorary President
Steven Isserlis – Artistic Adviser
Keith Harvey (1938-2017) – Co-Founder & Chair Emeritus
Executive Board
Selma Gokcen was a co-founder of the London Cello Society from 2003-2025 and remains Chair of the British Cello Society. She is also a member of the junior and senior teaching faculties of the Guildhall School of Music in London and the author of Bach Revealed, A Player’s Guide to the Solo Cello Suites of J. S. Bach. In addition to performing and teaching the cello, she is a trained teacher of the Alexander Technique and maintains a private studio in London.
Robert Baldock had a career in publishing, latterly as Managing Director of Yale University Press, London. He is author of a biography of Pablo Casals, researched in family archives in Europe, the US and Puerto Rico. He joined the London Cello Society as treasurer in 2008 and remains with the British Cello Society to the present day.
Ines was born and educated in Germany. In her early twenties, she was so charmed by a postcard from Devon that she decided to visit Devon and eventually emigrate to England. She ended up working in the IT department of a scientific laboratory for the rest of her working life. Hearing the Finzi cello concerto at the Proms inspired her to join the London Cello Society, which was just being formed. She has been membership secretary for many years and particularly enjoys her interaction with members.
Martin has worked in many different fields of industry, including managing his own construction company. Married, and with seven grandchildren, he plays in the Kingston U3A orchestra and in a delightful quartet.
British-Maltese cellist Matthew Huber combines a varied musical life as a performer, teacher, and expert in the field of fine string instruments as Head of Tarisio London. He appears regularly at various international chamber music festivals and his recording for Hyperion Records of John Tavener’s music for 8 cellos with Steven Isserlis won the Premiere Award from BBC Music Magazine. Matthew’s teachers and mentors include Steven Doane, Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Isserlis and Gary Hoffman. He has a keen interest in teaching and instrumental pedagogy and, in addition to the British Cello Society, he is a Trustee of the Pierre Fournier Award and Artistic Director of the London Master Classes, an annual summer course for advanced performing studies.
Ben Michaels is a British cellist based in London. He is passionate about chamber music and is committed to supporting the creation of new music, particularly that written for solo cello. He might equally likely be found premiering contemporary music, performing on baroque cello or walking his dog, Shafran. Before exploring his passion for music, Ben studied Biochemistry at Clare College, Cambridge.
Shanti Jayasinha is an experienced jazz performer and educator dedicated to expanding the cello’s possibilities through Afro-Cuban and Brazilian grooves, Indian ragas, improvisation, folk traditions, and Jazz.
Ian Pressland has been a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Razumovsky String Quartet, and was Assistant Director of Pro Corda (The National Association for Young Chamber Music Players). Ian continues to perform, teach, conduct and coach in many musical arenas, including the East London Late Starters Orchestra (Saturday morning school), Stoneleigh Youth Orchestras (Wimbledon) and The Royal College of Music Junior Dept.
Michela Cocolin is an Italian-German author based in West Sussex. She completed scientific secondary school in Italy and later earned qualifications in English language teaching, creative writing, and IT studies in the UK. She taught evening classes for 15 years and later focused on music education and social media management in the classical music field. She has a deep interest in history, particularly the German Resistance and the events leading to the fall of Prussia. Michela co-wrote Hitler’s Lost State: The Fall of Prussia and the Wilhelm Gustloff Tragedy, published by Pen & Sword in 2020. She is a passionate amateur musician and a life member of the British Cello Society.
Advisory Board
Heather Bills (Manchester Hub)
William Bruce
Sebastian Comberti
Penny Driver
Rebecca Gilliver
Leonid Gorokhov
Jennifer Langridge
Robert Max
Abigail Muvuma
Helen Neilson
Laura Ritchie (Chichester Hub)
Miriam Roycroft
Josh Salter
