Raphael Wallfisch
Cellist Raphael Wallfisch has a large repertory, especially strong on British composers, but not at all limited to them. He has made numerous recordings for Chandos and other labels.
Wallfisch was born in London on June 15, 1953. His father, Peter Wallfisch, was a pianist, and his mother, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, was a notable cellist. Raphael began his musical studies on the violin and piano but switched to the cello at eight after hearing a concert by cellist Zara Nelsova. Wallfisch studied as a teen with Amaryllis Fleming and for a year with Amadeo Baldovino in Italy. He attended the Royal Academy of Music from 1970 to 1973, studying with Derek Simpson. Wallfisch moved to California for further studies with Gregor Piatigorsky, who arranged for him to perform in private recitals with violinist Jascha Heifetz. In 1977, Wallfisch took first prize at the Gaspar Cassadó International Cello Competition in Florence, Italy, and soon after that, he launched what quickly became an international career. In the 1980s and early '90s, he played in a duet with his father, Peter. Wallfisch's recording career began in the LP era on the Chandos label; among his early albums was a 1982 release devoted to Samuel Barber's Cello Concerto and Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107.
Wallfisch's concert career has been international. He has appeared with virtually all of the major British orchestras and on the European continent with such major ensembles as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and the Bergen Philharmonic. He has performed in the U.S. with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Minnesota Orchestra and farther abroad with the Sydney Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, and Singapore Symphony, as well as other groups. Wallfisch performs as part of the Amici della Musica, which he founded, and the Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch with Hagai Shaham (violin) and Arnon Erez (piano); the latter group performed the complete Beethoven trios at Wigmore Hall in 2020. In addition to Chandos, he has recorded for Naxos (a complete cycle of the Vivaldi cello concertos), Nimbus, CPO, and many other labels. Wallfisch often performs at the Jewish Museum in Berlin and has recorded a series of works by Jewish refugee composers, "Voices in the Wilderness," for CPO. In 2023, he released the album Jonathan Dove: In Exile on Lyrita with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and baritone Simon Keenlyside. By that time, his catalog comprised some 100 recordings.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Myaskovsky, Lyadov & Rimsky-Korsakov: Cello Works
Raphael Wallfisch, Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Simon Callaghan, Łukasz Borowicz
Chamber Music - Released by CPO on 3 Feb 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Nos. 9-12
Raphael Wallfisch, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Nicholas Ward
Classical - Released by Naxos on 2 Jan 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ben-Haim, Bloch & Korngold: Works for Cello & Orchestra
Raphael Wallfisch, The BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Łukasz Borowicz
Classical - Released by CPO on 3 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Vol. 4
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Concertos - Released by Naxos on 9 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar Reimagined
David Matthews, Raphael Wallfisch, English String Orchestra, Kenneth Woods
Classical - Released by Lyrita on 4 Feb 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour violoncelle (volume 1)
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Cello Concertos - Released by Naxos on 9 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Three Botticelli Pictures
Tamás Vásáry, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Linda Finnie, Raphael Wallfisch
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Apr 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Cello Concerto and other Orchestral Works
Vernon Handley, Richard Hickox, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City Of London Sinfonia, Raphael Wallfisch, Tasmin Little
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 2007
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Borodin: String Quartets; String Sextet
The Lindsays, Louise Williams, Raphael Wallfisch
Classical - Released by ASV on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Vol. 3
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Classical - Released by Naxos on 13 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin, Laks & Szymanowski: Cello Sonatas
Chamber Music - Released by Nimbus Records on 1 May 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Menotti: Apocalisse, Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra & Sebastian Suite
Richard Hickox, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Raphael Wallfisch
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Mar 2001
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bliss: A Colour Symphony, Cello Concerto, the Enchantress
Ulster Orchestra, Linda Finnie, Raphael Wallfisch, Vernon Handley
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1 Aug 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: Cello Symphony & Death in Venice Suite
Steuart Bedford, English Chamber Orchestra, Raphael Wallfisch
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Nov 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coke: Cello Sonatas
Raphael Wallfisch, Simon Callaghan
Chamber Music - Released by Lyrita on 3 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stanford: Symphony No. 7, Irish Rhapsody No. 3 & Concert Piece for Organ and Orchestra
Vernon Handley, Ulster Orchestra, Gillian Weir, Raphael Wallfisch
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jun 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Cello Concerto - Leighton: Cello Concerto
Raphael Wallfisch, Vernon Handley, Bryden Thomson, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Concertos - Released by Chandos on 1 Aug 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romberg: Cello Works
Raphael Wallfisch, London Mozart Players
Classical - Released by CPO on 14 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weinberg: Works for Cello & Orchestra
Raphael Wallfisch, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Lukasz Borowicz
Classical - Released by CPO on 31 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bloch: Schelomo
Classical - Released by Nimbus Alliance on 6 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moeran: Orchestral Works
Vernon Handley, Norman Del Mar, Ulster Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Lydia Mordkovitch, Raphael Wallfisch
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo