News Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra appoints Philip Graham first principal cellist
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) has appointed Eisler graduate Philip Graham as its new first principal cellist. He has previously appeared as a guest principal cellist with both the BRSO and the Munich Philharmonic. Philip Graham completed his master’s degree at the Eisler in 2019 under Prof. Nicolas Altstaedt and has also been teaching there since the 2024/25 winter semester. Prior to this, he studied with Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He received further guidance from Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartet), Lucas Fels (Arditti Quartet), Heinrich Schiff and Steven Isserlis.
He won international competitions and scholarships at an early age. Graham was the cellist of the Berlin-based Notos Piano Quartet, with whom he performed internationally, released three albums on Sony Classical and won first prizes at international competitions. He is committed to promoting young talent both in the field of chamber music – for example, as a founding member of the Notos Chamber Music Academy in collaboration with Jeunesses Musicales Germany – and as an educator of contemporary music in schools and music colleges. Together with his father, the British composer David P. Graham, he leads courses on modern compositional styles and on the interpretation of new works for children and young people.
Philip Graham plays a cello by Giovanni Battista Grancino from 1700, which has been loaned to him by the Merito String Instruments Trust.