Welcome to the Deeside Cello Project’s Summer Concert Series: five concerts over eight days spread from the outskirts of Aberdeen to Tarland across beautiful Royal Deeside!
Featuring music from internationally established cellists and up-and-coming stars of the future, our exciting series offers something for everyone. Starting with Rebecca Gilliver, the principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra, at The Barn in Banchory, the series will culminate in a celebration of fantastic classical pops from the orchestra of around 30 cellos in Tarland’s friendly MacRobert Hall.
Our concerts often sell out before the night, so please book ahead! There are always friendly introductions and refreshments available in the interval, and we look forward very much to seeing you there!
NEW VIP TICKET AVAILABLE FOR ALL FIVE CONCERTS – reserved seating and 20% saving – LIMITED AVAILABILITY! click on the link:
https://www.ticketsource.com/deesidecelloproject
The Five Concerts:
Sunday 19th July 7.30 pm
Tickets here
Rebecca Gilliver (cello) with Dina Duisen (piano)
Celebrating the start of the Deeside Cello Project Festival week, Rebecca Gilliver will present a fantastic programme including the extraordinary Kodaly sonata for solo cello. Together with Dina Duisen, pianist, they will start the concert with the Rawsthorne sonata – two energetic outer movements sandwiching the muted middle one. Prelude by Moeran, movements from Peter Warlock’s popular Capriol Suite and the lyrical Delius sonata will follow, with the momentous Kodaly solo sonata in the second half.
Monday 20th July 7.30pm
Tickets here
Young Artist 2026, Nia Williams, with Dina Duisen (piano)
The Phoenix Centre, Newton Dee, Aberdeen
In the friendly and intimate theatre at the Phoenix Centre, our latest Young Artist Nia Williams and pianist Dina Duisen will present a varied and entertaining cello and piano recital. Judging by the previous years’ concerts, this will be a real treat from an excellent up and coming young cellist.
Nia Williams is a young Welsh cellist based in London who has recently graduated with a Masters with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is setting out on an exciting performing and teaching career.
Nia’s programme will include two absolute classics of the cello repertoire – Beethoven’s early but portentous G minor sonata and Brahms’ epic late sonata in F major. In addition she will also play a short and beautiful piece by the established British composer, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and the sparkling variations by Martinu on a well known theme by Rossini. In the warm, welcoming theatre at the Phoenix Centre, our latest Young Artist Nia Williams and pianist Dina Duisen will present a varied and entertaining cello and piano recital. Judging by the previous years’ concerts, this will be a real treat from an excellent up and coming young cellist.
Dina Duisen is much in demand as a recitalist and duo player all over the world. She is resident pianist for Prussia Cove Masterclasses and her duo collaborations include regularly working with Nicola Benedetti.
Wednesday 22nd July 7.30pm
Tickets here
The Three Cellos and Friends
This year the three cellos Philip Higham, Rebecca Gilliver and James Halsey will be joined by Joshua Lynch, cello, in the first half, and Sally Halsey, piano, in the second half. Their programme will feature, amongst other things, operatic gems by Strauss, Puccini, Bizet and Mozart!
An enormous treat for fans of the cello, the three cellos will indulge their love of chamber playing and take the audience on a memorable journey for the evening.
Entertaining and friendly introductions complement the wonderful music-making and this special concert is guaranteed to leave the audience with smiles on their faces!
Saturday 25th July 7.30pm
Tickets here
Philip Higham (Cello) and Sasha Savaloni (Guitar)
In a first for our series of concerts, we are delighted to welcome Sasha Savaloni, winner of the most prestigious guitar competitions in Europe including the Sevilla International Guitar Competition, alongside Philip Higham (international soloist, chamber musician and principal cello of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra) in what promises to be a beautiful recital in this beautiful venue.
There will be a varied programme of music for cello and guitar including Schubert’s wonderful Arpeggione Sonata and 6 Canciones Populares Españoles by De Falla. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sunday 26th July 7.30pm
Tickets here
The Giant Cello Ensemble
As the culmination of eight days of Cello festivities and hard work on the121st anniversary Cello Festival Summer School, based in Tarland, the Giant Cello Ensemble will be full of joie de vivre! Always incredibly popular, this concert mixes music to suit all tastes, from Haydn and Schubert to Mahler and Faure and including Mussorgsky’s atmospheric Night on a Bare Mountain. All played at the highest level by professionals and conservatoire students joined by local cello-playing enthusiasts.