Poppy Walshaw
Cello, Strings, Viola da Gamba
Cellist Poppy Walshaw performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and continuo player on historical instruments. She has performed as continuo cellist for Sir John Eliot Gardiner on many occasions including in New York, to King Charles, and for the English Baroque Soloists on an extensive European tour. Her continuo playing has been singled out as "lithe and characterful" (Opera Today).
Recent concerto performances have included live broadcasts on Danish and Polish Radio with Arte dei Suonatori (Poland), and with Fiori Musicali. Her first solo recording of Geminiani, and Giordani cello duets with Carina Drury, will be released in September 2023 as part of a second Irlandiani recording.
Poppy studied at Cambridge (Natural Sciences and Music), in Bremen with Alexander Baillie, and at the Guildhall with Louise Hopkins and Alison McGillivray. She has also taught the Alexander Technique for over ten years, and will qualify as a Feldenkrais practitioner in 2024.
Poppy works with many other leading ensembles such as the English Concert, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Academy of Ancient Music, OAE, and Arcangelo. She was continuo cellist for over a decade with Arte dei Suonatori (Poland), Le Chardon (Germany), and for several years with Oslo Baroque Orchestra. Recent highlights include as principal for Schubert with the Hanover Band, guest principal with the Instruments of Time and Truth and Armonico Consort, and as continuo cellist for Rachel Podger's Brecon Baroque at the Wigmore Hall. Previous chamber music recordings include Hummel & Schubert quintets for Chandos (2013), and Haydn Trios (2008), both with Simon Standage.