Richard Harwood appointed professor of cello at London’s Royal College of Music

Read more news stories here

British cellist Richard Harwood has been appointed Professor of Cello at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, UK. He wrote on social media: ‘I’m pleased to announce I’ve been appointed Professor of Cello at RCM. Looking forward to being on the faculty and building a class there.’ 

Alongside his solo and chamber performance career, Harwood was principal cello of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 2018 to 2024. He stepped down from the post last month, announcing the news on social media: ‘A couple of months ago, I reached the sad decision to leave this wonderful family of friends and colleagues in order to focus on a range of other musical activities.’ 

Harwood is a champion of contemporary music and has premiered multiple solo works written for him. He studied with Joan Dickson, Heinrich Schiff and Ralph Kirshbaum, among others. Harwood plays a Francesco Rugeri cello, dated 1692, an instrument that he has been playing since he was 14 years old.

Playing

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Teaching

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.