Pablo Ferrández

Cellist Pablo Ferrández brings a pronounced Russian influence to his interpretations and has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras both throughout his native Spain and farther afield. After signing with Sony Classical he issued his debut album for the label in 2021.

Born in Madrid on March 19, 1991, into a musical household, he received the name of the celebrated cellist Pablo Casals. At thirteen he entered the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid, where lessons with Natalia Shakhovskaya, herself a pupil of Mstislav Rostropovich, left a lasting mark on his musical outlook. He continued his training at the Kronberg Academy outside Frankfurt, Germany, and was awarded a scholarship from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. Early successes such as victory at the Leizen International Cello Competition in Austria in 2008 and the Nicolas Firmenich Prize at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival in 2011 further advanced his career.

Ferrández has performed with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, and the Stuttgart Philharmonic, while his chamber-music collaborations have included violinists Gidon Kremer and Vilde Frang. He is also a member of Madrid’s Flamel Trio. On loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, he plays the 1696 Stradivarius cello known as the “Lord Aylesford,” an instrument previously used by Gregor Piatigorsky and Janos Starker; he obtained the loan after a competitive audition judged by conductor Lorin Maazel.

Among his recordings is a 2014 Onyx label release of the Dvorák and Schumann cello concertos with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. In 2016 he joined three other cellists on the Kremerata Baltica album Focus Cello. His Sony Classical recital Reflections, recorded with pianist Denis Kozhukhin and featuring music by Rachmaninov together with Spanish composers, appeared in 2021.