Cellist Vashti Hunter Joins Faculty at the University for Music and the Arts Vienna

Hunter will begin teaching in Vienna at the opening of the 2024/25 academic year

Following two years of teaching at the Anton Bruckner University of Music in Linz, cellist Vashti Hunter has been appointed to the faculty of the University for Music and the Arts Vienna. She will step into the role at the opening of the 2024/25 academic year.

Born in London, Hunter was the first British cellist ever to be awarded a prize at the International Cello Competition "Prague Spring" in its 65-year history.

Hunter has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at the Festival Academy Budapest, Lockenhaus, Ernen, Davos, Heidelberger Frühling, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music UK, Boswiler Sommer, Shanghai Chamber Music Festival and BANFF in Canada.

Noted musicians such as Steven Isserlis, Ferenc Rados, Martha Argerich, Ivry Gitlis, Pekka Kuusisto, Nicolas Altstaedt, and Vilde Frang are among her chamber music partners.

She was also a co-founder of Trio Gaspard, alongside violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha and pianist Nicholas Rimmer, and the group won First Prize at both the Haydn and Joachim competitions.

Hunter studied with the cellist Leonid Gorokhov in both London and Hanover and later in Berlin with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. The British cellist Steven Isserlis was also a strong influence, and Hunter studied with him regularly at IMS Prussia Cove.