Events and Concerts
Sibelius: Finlandia
Schumann: Cello concerto in A minor (Soloist: Willard Carter
Brahms: Symphony no 2 in D Major
A concert of Romantic music to herald the Spring - Brahms' 'Pastoral Symphony' (the 2nd in D major) is preceded by Sibelius' 'Finlandia' and Schumann's cello concerto in A minor with soloist Willard Carter.
Willard Carter - Cello
Willard began cello lessons at the age of four with Elizabeth Anderson. He joined Wells Cathedral School as a chorister at the age of eight and moved to the Purcell School in 2013 to study cello with Alexander Boyarsky. In 2016, he joined the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music for additional chamber music studies. In 2018, he began studying with Ivan Monighetti at the Escuela de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid, in 2023, he was a student at the Barenboim–Said Akademie with Frans Helmerson and from 2026 he is studying with Antje Weithaas in Berlin.
In January 2024, Willard performed at the Berlin Konzerthaus as part of the Hope@Home series. In July 2023, he gave his first solo recital at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, and in November 2023, he was invited back for a second consecutive year to the Radio Classique Festival in Saint-Malo.
Willard has performed and curated concerts at the Heidelberger Frühling Festival 2025, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and the Gstaad New Year Festival. He has also appeared in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, Buckingham Palace, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, and Windsor Castle. In May 2019, he returned to Buckingham Palace for a performance that was later broadcast on Classic FM, which went on to name him a Rising Star.
In May 2021, Willard played a recital at the Solsberg Festival in Switzerland. In June, he performed the Brahms Double Concerto at the Teatro Romano in Mérida for the Queen of Spain, broadcast live on television. In August 2021, he performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra at the Gstaad Festival.
In November 2025 Willard won the VP Opus Bank Award in Liechtenstein.
In November 2024, Willard launched his concert series Wild Combinations in Berlin, designed to break down the barrier between stage and audience, encouraging storytelling and connection.
Through distinctive programming, unique venues, and intertwining the arts, the series seeks to bridge the gap between classical music and contemporary culture.
He has been mentored by many extraordinary musicians, including Sir András Schiff, Vasily Petrenko, and Jaap van Zweden.
Willard plays a cello made in 1893 by Vincenzo Postiglione, generously provided by a private sponsor.
