Thomas Shelley

Tom first developed a love for music hearing the colliery bands in his native Yorkshire and after beginning his studies with the double bass and classical guitar he eventually moved forward as a cellist and composer. He went on to read music as an instrumental scholar at Worcester College, Oxford whilst studying with Raphael Wallfisch and after completing a fasttrack MMus with Natalia Pavlutskaya at TrinityLaban he moved to the USA to study with renowned pedagogue Hans-Jørgen Jensen. He concluded his studies with a further Masters at the Hochschule für Theater, Medien und Musik in Hannover under Prof. Tilmann Wick. During his studies he received financial awards and scholarships from the Musician’s Benevolent Fund, Leverhulme Trust and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.

Diversity is an essential part of his musical life and whilst he has continually placed an emphasis on contemporary music, he has worked with orchestras across the continent, performed regularly as soloist and been part of several chamber music festivals. He has been fortunate to work with the Staatskapelle Berlin, Philharmonia orchestra and The London Mozart Players among many others. He has also performed at Lucerne, Verbier and Schleswig-Holstein festivals including the Festival Alumni Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly.

Education has always played a central role in his life and he is determined to find the best solutions for each student. With a strong focus on technique and understanding the way our body relates to the instrument, he ultimately wants students to find the freedom they need to be able to express themselves to the fullest. Several of his students have gone on to study at conservatoires in the UK and in Germany and received music scholarships from various independent schools in the South east.