Boston’s New England Conservatory Announces New Faculty Member

French cellist Blaise Déjardin is a principal cellist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), as well as an author and recording artist.

An alumnus of New England Conservatory (NEC), Déjardin completed a master of music degree and graduate diploma studying with cellist Laurence Lesser. His other mentors included Philippe Muller and Bernard Greenhouse. 

Since graduating from NEC, he has been invited back as a guest artist and masterclass tutor. He has also taught at the Tanglewood Music Center and regularly gives masterclasses in Europe, China, and North America. 

Having been part of the cello section of BSO since 2008, Déjardin was appointed to the principal cello position by BSO’s music director Andris Nelsons in Spring 2018. His first album in that role, “Adès conducts Adès,” was released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2020.

Déjardin is the 14th principal cello in BSO’s history and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. Recent performances included cello concertos by Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Brahms, and Shostakovich.

In 2013, he launched Opus Cello, an online sheet music publishing company, which also published his instructional book “Audition Day” this year. He has also served as artistic director of the Boston Cello Society since its founding in 2015. 

“There is always a special pleasure in welcoming an alumnus back ‘home’ to join the faculty, and I can scarcely think of a nicer homecoming than this one,” said Provost and Dean of the NEC faculty, Benjamin Sosland, in the press release.

“Blaise is a musician of consummate skill and exceptional artistry, and an exemplar and beneficiary of the legendary cello teaching that is a hallmark of NEC,” Sosland continued. “Now it’s his turn to pass on his knowledge to a new generation of cellists. I am excited for him and for his future students at NEC.” 

“It feels very special to return to my alma mater and to be able to give back to an institution which has given me so much as a young artist,”  added Déjardin. “I look forward to working with the students, teachers, and staff to make our world a little more beautiful every day through music.”

Making his orchestral debut at age 14 in France, Déjardin’s awards include first prize at the Maurice Gendron International Cello Competition and first prize in cello with highest honors from Paris’s Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. He also became the youngest prizewinner at New Zealand’s 6th Adam International Cello Competition.

NEC was founded by Eben Tourjée in 1867 and is an independent, not-for-profit institution that trains musicians of all ages from around the world. It is now recognized internationally as a leading music school.