Belfast-born Jonathan Byers is 24 and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with David Strange, graduating in 2002. He then completed a two year post graduate course at the RAM, studying with Jennifer Ward-Clarke and Philip Sheppard.

Jonathan began playing the cello at the age of eight, and studied at the City of Belfast School of Music with Barbara Upritchard and Steven Wise. Whilst at the CBSM, he was a soloist and principal cello with the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and also principal cello of the Ulster Youth Orchestra. Jonathan won the Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year competition in 1997, which included a live television broadcast (UTV) of Fauré’s Elégie. He became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain at the age of 17, and played in its 50th anniversary tour of Europe with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Anne Sophie Von Otter. Jonathan has since worked with many orchestras, including the Academy of Ancient Music, La Serenissima, Irish Baroque Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Ireland and the Ulster Orchestra.

Jonathan has also played in various pop concerts, including one with Elton John at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and John Dankworth and Cleo Lane’s anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He has performed on the BBC’s Top of the Pops with the Lost Prophets and plays in regular recording sessions for producer Jody K Jenkins on TV programmes and advertisements, including the forthcoming ITV series Ladette to Lady. He recently performed as solo cello on two tracks by Morcheeba featuring Will Young. Jonathan also appears in the forthcoming Jennifer Love Hewitt film If Only and last year performed on a two week tour of Sweden and Denmark with Abba – The Show. He also toured with Virgin Records singer Izzy supporting Bryan Ferry.

Jonathan is the cellist of the Badke String Quartet which currently holds the Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellowship at the RAM. The Quartet has participated in master-classes with Gábor Takács-Nagy during the International Musicians’ Seminar at Prussia Cove and at the Sion Academy, Switzerland. Last summer the Quartet spent the month of July having lessons with Rainer Schmidt of the Hagen Quartet in Santander, Spain at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía. Amongst its many engagements this season, the Quartet gave a Belfast Festival concert which was recorded for BBC Radio.

Jonathan enjoys teaching and has several pupils across London. He is also a tutor for the Hounslow Youth Orchestra. With the Badke Quartet, he will be taking part in a series of youth workshops this spring.

Jonathan has recently been awarded the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Young Artist Platform Scheme award. This generous award will enable him to travel to the Netherlands, Germany and Italy for lessons with some of the finest baroque cellists in the world. It has also given him the opportunity to travel to Malta in May, to give recitals and workshops.

Jonathan plays on a 1740 cello, made by Cross, which is kindly loaned to him by the Becket Collection at the Royal Academy of Music.

Check out the Badke Quartet’s website at http://www.badkequartet.co.uk

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