Paul Watkins

Paul Watkins is a Welsh conductor and cellist. He studied cello with <a href="spotify:artist:1OKd98WNEY07xKq0NARAu3">William Pleeth</a>, Melissa Phelps, and Johannes Goritzki, and from 1990 to 1997 he was the principal cellist of the <a href="spotify:artist:23BiSNXm5UaRFuusoWisYO">BBC Symphony Orchestra</a>. As a concerto soloist, Watkins has performed with <a href="spotify:artist:3TRLbu1HiKgouyapoZE421">Paavo Berglund</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0xcogVKoT8y5OBIg3L0fua">Leonard Slatkin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:71dLaXD8sd1tV1LzFqUj3q">Sakari Oramo</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4ZfhELUmrY86zwcJHY2q19">Gianandrea Noseda</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5jKPZpM5NojkLVEXxxWZwG">Mark Elder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:27sxIn9cqlHftnewCLqEFd">Richard Hickox</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6fkV4LaygxybcMjo4cJLrI">Andris Nelsons</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1Q9HCWdqbiui9pOsDtYkXW">Andrew Davis</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1iyvtzGjtuQa1I5UGpzk6l">Charles Mackerras</a>. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Watkins was a member of the <a href="spotify:artist:4JxE9udapTtgj0yOFS4Se7">Nash Ensemble</a> from 1997 to 2013, before joining the <a href="spotify:artist:4IBl8k6ZsBagsI5zRjyXH7">Emerson Quartet</a>. He has also collaborated with <a href="spotify:artist:2TMN4gxer8gkLcA7zLwBr0">Menahem Pressler</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3f6FlxZfcsNeOZCXgbp1yW">Jaime Laredo</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3xYzk2kbx3IEGo2YPeoggv">Lars Vogt</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1fo7wyhU0wmbIbknhGaBOi">Christian Tetzlaff</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5AU4WeTDl2uf1jFw2w9FQT">Vadim Repin</a>. Pursuing conducting, Watkins was the winner of the 2002 Leeds Conductors' Competition, and he gave his first public performance as a conductor with the <a href="spotify:artist:3PfJE6ebCbCHeuqO4BfNeA">London Philharmonic Orchestra</a> in 2006. He became the associate conductor of the <a href="spotify:artist:2DO4p3CPDnInsJfg0jFfaF">English Chamber Orchestra</a> in 2007, and in 2009 he was promoted to music director. He is also the principal guest conductor of the <a href="spotify:artist:6ibvdCG0uLZYYq4HpUmXQ1">Ulster Orchestra</a>. Watkins has recorded for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Nimbus%22">Nimbus</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EtCetera+Records%22">EtCetera Records</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22NMC%22">NMC</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Chandos%22">Chandos</a>.