List of women classical cellists

The following is a list of women classical cellists by nationality – notable women who are well known for their work in the field of classical music.

Su-a Lee on stage.

Argentina

• Sol Gabetta (born 1981), classical cellist, orchestral performer, recording artist and educator, now resident in Switzerland

Australia

• Christine Jackson (1962–2016), British-born Australian cellist, member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, played didgeridoo duos

Belgium

• Flavie Van den Hende (1865-1925), Belgian-born and -trained cellist, worked and died in the US

Canada

• Soo Bae (born 1977), Korean-born Canadian cellist now in New York
• Denise Djokic (born 1980), cellist, soloist and recitalist
• Suzette Forgues Halasz (1918–2004), cellist and musical educator, orchestral principal cellist
• Amanda Forsyth (born 1966), recitalist, soloist and chamber musician
• Ofra Harnoy (born 1965), prominent Israeli-born Canadian cellist, award-winning soloist and recording artist
• Dorothy Lawson (fl. 1990s), cellist, chamber musician and composer based in New York City
• Dáirine Ní Mheadhra (fl. 1990s), Irish-born Canadian cellist, conductor and opera producer
• Shauna Rolston (born 1967), child prodigy, recitalist and soloist, educator

China

• Jiaxin Cheng (born 1974), soloist, recitalist and recording artist now based in London, married Julian Lloyd Webber
• Tina Guo (born 1985), Chinese-American cellist, practising classical and modern genres, soloist and recording artist
• Ma Siju (1920–2014), pianist and cellist, recognized educator, retired in 1986

Czech Republic

• Michaela Fukačová (born 1959), award-winning classical cellist

Ecuador

• Teodelinda Terán Hicks (1889-1959), Ecuadorian cellist, trained in London, based in California

France

• Valérie Aimard (born 1969), concert cellist, chamber musician and recording artist
• Martine Bailly (born 1946), classical cellist, first cello of the Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris
• Emmanuelle Bertrand (born 1973), award-winning soloist and recording artist
• Lisa Cristiani (born 1827), classical cellist, one of the first professional female cellists in Europe
• Reine Flachot (1922–1998), international cellist and educator
• Ophélie Gaillard (born 1974), cellist, chamber musician and educator
• Anne Gastinel (born 1971), international cellist, performances from the age of 12, educator
• Astrig Siranossian (born 1988), child prodigy, concert performed, chamber musician and recording artist
• Mathilde Sternat (fl. 1995), chamber musician and arranger
• Agnès Vesterman (fl. 1980s), duet performer, recording artist and educator
• Sonia Wieder-Atherton (born 1961), Franco-American orchestral soloist, chamber musician and recording artist

Germany

• Kristin von der Goltz (born 1966), German-Norwegian cellist, specializing in baroque, chamber musician
• Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (born 1987), award-winning young cellist
• Eva Heinitz (1907–2001), cellist, violist and educator who settled in the United States
• Bettina Hoffmann (born 1959), viola da gambist, cellist, musicologist and educator
• Maria Kliegel (born 1952), cellist, recording artist and educator
• Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (born 1925), cellist, surviving member of the Women's Orchestra in Auschwitz
• Margarethe Quidde (1858-1940), Prussian-born cellist, writer, pacifist in Munich
• Eleonore Schoenfeld (born 1925), influential 20th-century cellist, recording artist and educator

Hungary

• Rozsi Varady (1902–1933), concert cellist popular in the United States and Europe

Lithuania

• Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė (born 1976), founding member of the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, orchestral concert performer

Luxembourg

• Françoise Groben (1965–2011), cellist playing with many notable orchestras, chamber musician and recording artist

Netherlands

• Josephine van Lier (born 1968), performing cellist specialized in baroque, contemporary and chamber music, residing in Canada
• Mayke Rademakers (fl. 2000s), recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, recording artist

Norway

• Birgitta Elisa Oftestad (born 2002), soloist, chamber musician

Portugal

• Guilhermina Suggia (1885–1950), worked with Pablo Casals in Paris, toured internationally, also chamber musician

Russia

• Tanya Anisimova (born 1966), cellist and composer
• Natalia Gutman (born 1942), soloist, chamber musician, interested in contemporary music
• Nina Kotova (born 1969), recitalist and soloist with major orchestras, educator and recording artist
• Anna Luboshutz (1887–1975), major career in Russia as a soloist and chamber musician
• Natalia Shakhovskaya (1935–2017), award-winning international cellist and educator
• Tatjana Vassiljeva (born 1977), award-winning Russian cellist, appeared with many notable orchestras and toured widely

Serbia

• Maja Bogdanović (born 1982), classical cellist now based in Paris
• Jelena Mihailović (born 1987), classical and contemporary cellist based in Belgrade and Los Angeles

South Korea

• Myung-wha Chung (born 1944), concert cellist, chamber musician and educator, now based in New York City
• Han-na Chang (born 1982), conductor and cellist
• Su-a Lee (fl. 1998), cellist, member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, recording artist
• Hee-Young Lim (born 1987), award-winning classical cellist, principal solo cellist with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
• Meehae Ryo (born 1967), international soloist and educator

Spain

• Teresa Bernabe (born 1983), classical and contemporary cellist, singer-songwriter

Sweden

• Walborg Lagerwall (1851–1940), toured Scandinavia, cellist at the Royal Swedish Opera

United Kingdom

• Natalie Clein (born 1977), classical cellist, chamber musician and recording artist
• Caroline Dale (born 1965), cellist and recording artist
• Jacqueline du Pré (1945–1987), prominent cellist performing internationally with numerous orchestras, career cut short by multiple sclerosis
• Amaryllis Fleming (1925–1999), classical cellist, chamber musician, Baroque cello performer and educator
• Olga Hegedus (1920–2017), cellist, co-principal of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Louise Hopkins (born 1968), international soloist, broadcaster and educator
• Peggie Sampson (1912–2004), cellist, viola da gambist and educator
• Anna Shuttleworth (born 1927), cellist and educator
• Amanda Truelove (born 1961), cellist and educator

United States

• Eleanor Aller (1917–1995), cellist, chamber musician and principal cellist in the Warner Bros Studio Orchestra
• Cecylia Barczyk (fl. 1980s), Polish-born American cellist and educator
• Maya Beiser (born 1963), Israeli-born American cellist and producer
• Phoebe Carrai (born 1955), cellist, chamber musician and educator
• Alison Chesley (born 1960), cellist, composer and recording artist
• Kristina Reiko Cooper (fl. 1990s), cellist, solo artist, chamber musician and recording artist
• Nadine Deleury (fl. 1980s), French-born American cellist, chamber opera performer and educator
• Kate Dillingham (fl. 1993), cellist, soloist and chamber musician
• Eileen Folson (1956–2007), composer and cellist
• Raya Garbousova (1909–1997), cellist and educator
• Sarah Gurowitsch (1889-1981), Russian-born American cellist
• Elsa Hilger (1904–2005), Austrian-born American cellist who gave recitals until she was 95
• Mimi Hwang (fl. 1980s), cellist and chamber musician
• Joan Jeanrenaud (born 1956), cellist and recording artist
• Maureen May (born 1962), cellist and conductor
• Zara Nelsova (1918–2002), Canadian-born American orchestral cellist and chamber musician who performed from an early age
• Maxine Neuman (born 1948), chamber musician, orchestral cellist and educator
• Sharon Robinson (born 1949), cellist, concert solo artist, chamber musician and recording artist
• Marcy Rosen (fl. 1980s), concerto cellist, chamber musician and educator
• Sara Sant'Ambrogio (born 1962), chamber musician, member of the Eroica Trio, interested in contemporary composers
• Eleonore Schoenfeld (1924–2007), one of the 20th century's most influential cellists
• Eleonore Schoenfeld (born 1993), cellist and concert performer
• Frances-Marie Uitti (born 1948), cellist known for performing contemporary classical music
• Christine Walevska (born 1945), international classical cellist, recording artist and educator
• Wendy Warner (born c. 1972), international orchestral cellist, chamber musician and educator
• Alisa Weilerstein (born 1982), classical cellist, soloist and chamber musician
• Olga Zilboorg (1933–2017), Mexican-born American cellist and educator

See also

• Lists of women in music
• Women in classical music