Jeremy Findlay’s passion for the cello began at an early age. He was born in Toronto into a family of musicians and enthusiastically pursued his interest in both solo and chamber music performance. Findlay has appeared internationally as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician in many prestigious venues including the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Warsaw Philharmonic, Metropolitan Hall in Tokyo, Izumi Hall in Osaka, Coliseo in Buenos Aires, Municipal Theatre of São Paulo, Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, and at Weill Hall at Carnegie and Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, New York.
Soloist with orchestras
As a soloist Findlay has extensive experience performing the cello concerto repertoire with numerous orchestras including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Prague Philharmonia, Prague Chamber Orchestra, North Czech Philharmonic, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Pilsen Philharmonic, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, Capella Cracoviensis, Gdańsk Philharmonic Orchestra, Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra, Łodz Philharmonic Orchestra, Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, Kielce Philharmonic Orchestra, Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, Bydgoszcz Philharmonic Orchestra, Capella Bydgostiensis, Białystok Philharmonic Orchestra, Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Lublin Philharmonic Orchestra, Rzeszów Philharmonic Orchestra, Jelenia Góra Philharmonic Orchestra, Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra, Wałbrzych Philharmonic Orchestra, Łomża Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Silesian Chamber Orchestra, National Orchestra of Malta, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein, Hermitage Chamber Orchestra in Moscow, Oratorio Sinfonica Japan, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional Cláudio Santoro Brasília and the Symphonic Orchestra of the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo. Findlay premiered the “Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra” (2009) written for him by Jiři Gemrot with the North Czech Philharmonic and recorded it for the Czech Radio in April 2014 with the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra. Findlay also premiered and recorded Jiři Gemrot’s “Lamento” for Cello and String Orchestra (2012) with the Prague Chamber Orchestra. In June 2017 Findlay premiered the “Concerto for Cello and String Orchestra” written for him by Shane Woodborne with the Camerata Salzburg.
Festivals and media
Findlay’s passion for chamber music has led to performances with musicians including Victor Lieberman, Reiher Honeck, Lukas Hagen, Kaja Danczowska, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Alexander Lonquich and Jeffrey Kahane. Findlay has played at festivals including the Salzburg Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in France, Maribor Festival in Slovenia, International Musicians Seminar in Cornwall England, Shanghai International Arts Festival, “Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival” in Cracow, “Music in Old Cracow” festival, International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj and the Villach Festival. Findlay has been featured on radio and television networks including the ORF in Austria, Czech National Radio, the Polish Radio & TVP, NHK in Japan, TRT2 in Turkey, the CBC in Canada and the National Public Radio in the USA.
His recording of both of the Saint-Saëns cello concertos with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra is available on the DUX label. Findlay’s CD with pianist Per Rundberg of variations for cello and piano by Beethoven, Martinu and Gemrot on the Praga Digitals label is distributed by Harmonia Mundi and was reviewed in STRAD Magazine: „By using a very simple and unadorned tonal quality for the Beethoven, Jeremy Findlay also points to the development of the cello technique from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day, where he can explore the full range of sounds required”.
Education
Findlay’s cello lessons began with his father, William Findlay, as a scholarship student at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He continued his studies with Daniel Domb at the University of Toronto where he graduated in 1992. Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council grants provided the opportunity for further studies in Europe where he studied with Josef Chuchro at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and chamber music at the European Mozart Foundation under the direction of Sándor Végh. Findlay also took part in the masterclasses of Zara Nelsova, Boris Pergamenschikow and Yo-Yo Ma.
Jeremy Findlay’s interpretations are characterized by subtlety, elegance and intuition. He has performed in over fifty countries appearing in North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Russia, Middle East and in Europe.