Musicians You Should Know: Laura van der Heijden

Basic Facts

Born: April 7, 1997, England

Type of Performer: Cellist

Genre: Classical

About Laura van der Heijden

Laura van der Heijden was born in 1997 in England. She started playing cello at age 6 and she gave her first public performance at age 9. In 2012, at the age of 15, she won the BBC Young Musicians Competition and went on to be chosen by the Orpheum Siftung in Switzerland, a foundation that supports young musicians. She attended Cambridge University, where she graduated in 2019. Her debut album, 1948, featuring Russian music for cello and piano, won the 2018 Edison Klassiek Award and the 2019 BBC Newcomer Award. She is currently the Young Artist in Residence of the London Mozart Players.

Van der Heijden has toured internationally. Her performances include solo appearances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Tchaikovsky Orchestra in Moscow, the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, and the BBC Scottish Symphony. She is also a prolific chamber musician. She has performed with the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra, and she has collaborated with musicians such as Tom Poster, Petr Limonov, and Katya Apekisheva.

Listen

Walton Concerto No. 1, at the BBC Young Musicians Competition, 2012

Variations on a Rococo Theme, Tchaikovsky, with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, 2014

Further Reading

http://www.lauravanderheijden.uk/en/bio

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42886407

https://www.thestrad.com/playing-and-teaching/life-lessons-laura-van-der-heijden/9669.article