Andrew Shulman is a world-renowned English cellist, conductor, and composer whose extraordinary talent and versatility have left an indelible mark on the global music scene. Born in London in 1960, he displayed an early aptitude for the cello, studying with luminaries such as Amaryllis Fleming, Joan Dickson, Jacqueline du Pré, and William Pleeth at the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music. His prodigious skill was recognized at just 22 when Riccardo Muti appointed him principal cellist of the prestigious Philharmonia Orchestra, launching a distinguished career spanning continents and musical genres.
Shulman has held principal positions with some of the world’s most esteemed ensembles, including the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Since 2008, he has served as principal cellist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), where his performances have been described by the Los Angeles Times as “always eloquent and passionate.” In 1989, he became the first British cellist to win the prestigious Piatigorsky Artist Award, and his contributions to music were further honored when he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Music by HRH The Queen Mother.
As a soloist, Shulman has performed major cello concertos with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Philharmonia, City of Birmingham Symphony, Utah Symphony, BBC Scottish, Gothenburg Symphony and Singapore Symphony, collaborating with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Giuseppe Sinopoli. He has given recitals at iconic venues such as Wigmore Hall, Buckingham Palace, the Royal Palace in Stockholm, the Vienna Musikverein and the Hollywood Bowl, where his performances have been noted for their “fastidious poetry of phrase and technique” (The Times). His extensive discography includes over 35 recordings, among them 26 albums with the Britten Quartet for EMI, solo works by Vivaldi and Janáček, and world-premiere performances and recordings of solo works by Frederick Delius, Bruce Broughton, James Newton Howard and Maria Newman.
Shulman’s versatility extends beyond classical music. As a sought-after solo cellist in film and television, he has contributed to thousands of scores. He has also collaborated with artists outside the classical realm, notably working with George Martin and three of the Beatles, arranging and performing on albums by the post-punk band Louis XIV and recording the iconic cello solo in Elton John’s Candle in the Wind 1997. As a composer, he has premiered his own works, such as Smaller Music for Strings, and won accolades for his electric cello rock instrumental H.A.N.D., a winner in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition.
As a conductor, Shulman has led orchestras across Europe and the U.S., including the Britten-Pears Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Culver City Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Principal Guest Conductor. His conducting highlights include the world premiere of a previously unpublished work by Benjamin Britten and acclaimed performances of Mozart operas such as Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte. Critics and audiences alike have praised his ability to draw nuanced and impassioned performances from orchestras, a testament to his deep musical insight.
A dedicated educator, Shulman is a professor at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where his students have gone on to win international competitions and secure principal positions in major orchestras. His multifaceted career—spanning solo performances, chamber music, conducting, composing, and pedagogy—reflects a restless creativity and an unwavering commitment to musical excellence. Whether performing Strauss’s Don Quixote with Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Hollywood Bowl or collaborating with rock guitarist Uli Jon Roth in Hollywood, Andrew Shulman remains a dynamic and influential force in the world of music.