For any cellist or music lover living within reach of London, the London Cello Society (LCS) has been a source of community and inspiration for more than 20 years, thanks to the generosity and imagination of its founders and volunteers. Newly re-launched as the British Cello Society (BCS), a new chapter is beginning —one that promises to encourage and support inspiring cello events across the UK. Everyone involved with the cello is warmly encouraged to participate in the society, from students to professionals, amateur players, music lovers who would never try to play themselves, and parents who do so much to support their children as cellists.

Selma Gokcen, co-founder of the LCS, was trained at the Juilliard School, and valued her membership of the Violoncello Society of New York. ‘It was a small organisation but offered a wonderful environment for a young cellist like me. They would host dinners for visiting cellists and gave us all a chance to meet like-minded people.’  When Selma arrived in London, she found that there wasn’t an active cello society in the city, so she approached Keith Harvey, and the London Cello Society was born. ‘Keith had such an encyclopaedic mind for all things cello, and I knew that we had a shared love of the cello and its traditions and wanted to see that celebrated and communicated to the next generation. When I suggested the idea of a London cello society, Keith looked at me and said, “Well, yes, as long as you do the work!” He had the ideas, the knowledge, and he knew where all the gold and jewels were buried, so to speak.’

Through Keith’s contacts, the new LCS attracted a board of distinguished cellists, and started to offer a series of talks, masterclasses, concerts and training days which embraced not only the professional and conservatoire communities but also served the thriving amateur and youth scene.  The LCS was never just about concerts or masterclasses. It was about creating a space where cellists—amateurs and professionals, students and teachers, the young and the young-at-heart—could come together, share their stories, and learn from one another. The Society’s events were as much about the conversations in the interval as the music on the stage.

Alongside the Society’s reverence for the past has been a desire to explore new repertoire, new ways of playing, and new ways of bringing people together. The LCS became known for its imaginative programming—events that might pair a masterclass with a participatory workshop, or a concert with a lively discussion on the future of cello playing. Personal highlights for us were the tributes to great cellists including William Pleeth, and Pierre Fournier, and Simply Strad in 2013—an unprecedented opportunity to hear a series of exceptional Stradivari cellos side by side, including a performance by Christian Poltéra on the Mara Stradivari which inspired Robin to study this cello as a new model for his making. Equally inspiring was Glories of Venice, an unforgettable performance in 2018 on instruments by Montagnana, Gofriller and Sanctus Serafin. We were also very fortunate to attend a masterclass by Leonid Gorokhov on the Shostakovich Cello Concerto in 2015 in which he offered acute insight into this extraordinary piece.

None of this would have been possible without the contribution of many individuals, including Ines Day, the membership secretary, Robert Baldock, the treasurer, and Justin Pearson—and more recently, board members Matthew Huber and Ben Michaels: all people with, as Selma puts it, ‘the craft and the art to make things happen.’

The ‘desert’ of the pandemic was a watershed moment for the LCS. ‘We began to realise that what this generation really wants is events in which they can actively participate,’ Selma reflects. With characteristic creativity, the LCS responded by offering a free online series to help members stay engaged with their instruments. ‘Our first experiment was with Ernst Reijseger, who gave an online improvisatory class,’ Selma remembers. ‘It was a cello adventure for all ages, and people loved it.’  In the past few years, it became clear that a more fundamental transformation was needed. The Society’s London-centric model, while rich in history and tradition, could not reach the geographically diverse community of cellists across the UK.  People said, ‘We love what you do, but we can’t get to you.’ It also became clear how important it was for the society to reach and serve more school-aged players, students and young professionals, due to cuts in county music provision in the UK.

So, the idea of a national cello society was born, followed by a successful fundraising campaign and a survey of members to choose a new name. The new British Cello Society has been designed to retain all that made the LCS special—its warmth, its commitment to excellence, its sense of community—while expanding its geographical and online reach and evolving a new website offering a host of educational, commercial and artistic resources.

At the heart of the BCS is a new ‘hub’ model. Instead of being anchored solely in London, the Society is establishing regional hubs in Manchester, Cambridge and Chichester, each with its own events, exchanges, and local flavour.  The Manchester hub is led by Heather Bills, and the Chichester hub by Lauria Ritchie. (The Cambridge hub is currently seeking a leader.) This approach is about more than convenience. It’s about recognizing the wealth of talent and enthusiasm that exists outside the capital and giving every cellist—wherever they live—the chance to participate fully in the life of the Society.

Matt Huber, who joined the board 18 months ago, is excited about ‘Cello Roots’, the society’s launch event on 23 November 2025 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. ‘The great thing about the Society going national is the potential for collaboration and partnership. It’s wonderful that our launch event is in Birmingham, where there are conservatoire students and local audiences who might not have been able to come to past London events,’ Matt enthuses. The BCS describes ‘Cello Roots’ as a participatory celebration of the British folk tradition, dedicated to all cello-lovers whose sense of adventure and keen desire to participate have inspired this event, and features cellists Laura van der Heijden and Matthew Sharp. During the day, players of all ages and backgrounds will explore the great folk music traditions of the British Isles.

Matt loves the fact that the Society can now take events to its membership, and by doing so, grow and develop new networks and collaborations. ‘Relationships are key—a cellist friend might be happy to lead a workshop, while a stranger might not. Goodwill goes a long way, and cellists are very generous with their time. We’re a small society and in the past have relied so much on teachers to spread the word. Now that we’re a national organization, I look forward to seeing the Society increase its prominence and profile.’

The Society’s new website, www.britishcellos.org offers cellists a wealth of possibilities, both in person and online. Live events include two in Chichester in November: a creative teaching workshop with Kay Tucker and a collaborative recital. The Manchester hub offers ‘A Foray into Faure’ next March, led by Xavier Gangepain, President of the French Cello Society. Cello Day 2026 will take place at the Royal Academy of Music in April. The RAM will also be the venue of an innovative workshop by Leonid Gorokhov on left hand technique in May next year.

Online events include a series of seven livestream seminars with Dr Robert Jesselson of the University of South Carolina, who will share his pedagogical philosophy and approach.  On 2 November, Shanti Jayasinha offers an online session exploring Cuban music. Ian Pressland heads up the ‘Adult learners and Cello Lovers Corner’ and will host online gatherings each academic term and an annual in-person get-together.

The BCS also embraces the much-loved Cello Club. As a boy, Matt Huber looked forward to receiving the Cello Club newsletter in its bright cardboard cover. ‘I grew up near Colchester and never made it to a Cello Club event, so the newsletter meant a lot to me. There are kids out there in the UK who have the same experience I did, and it would be nice as a Society to bring events to them and get them involved in a personal way. Unless you have an orchestra or chamber group at school, you can end up working in isolation.’

As well as publicising BCS events, the new website has been designed to incorporate a cello calendar in the ‘What’s On’ section, for which members can submit their own events. The ‘Resources’ section includes an international cello teacher directory and UK cello course calendar to which members can add listings, plus a luthier and bow maker directory and a growing collection of teaching and technique videos by cellists including Alisa Weilerstein, János Starker, Alban Gerhardt, André Navarra and Bernard Greenhouse. There’s little doubt that the BCS website will become just as important a hub for its national and international members as its new regional bases.

Ben Michaels, the youngest member of the BCS board, is full of ideas for the future and wants to encourage members to contribute their own ideas to the society. ‘We want to provide space for members to come forward with ideas for national and regional events. Hopefully the expansion into satellite hubs will make the society fully inclusive, allowing us to share and enjoy each other’s joint effort for the cello.’

Ben has a particular interest in contemporary music for the cello and looks forward to introducing interested members to the liberating experience of playing contemporary repertoire. ‘Contemporary music shouldn’t just be reserved for premiere performances! It can be a freeing experience for all cellists, especially when exploring strange new sounds or novel techniques. It reminds us to make music through listening to the sound, not just an obsession with playing the dots!’ Ben is also in the early stages of planning a ‘Bach’ day of lectures, workshops and concerts for cellists of all ages, backgrounds and specialisms, not just focussing on the Suites, but on other stunning music written for cello by Bach, for example within the Cantatas.

The Society’s plans are ambitious: new hubs, new events, new collaborations. But at its heart, it’s clear to us that the British Cello Society remains true to the generous values that have always defined our cello community in the UK. Huge thanks to everyone who has made this possible over the past 22 years.