Bio : Abel Selaocoe

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe has established himself as a leading voice of reimagining classical music. Redefining the parameters of the cello, he moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from collaborations with world and jazz musicians, to concertos and solo performances. Selaocoe combines virtuosic performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and is devoted to composing works and curating programmes that highlight the links between Western and non-Western musical traditions, broadening the horizons of classical music to reach a more diverse audience. In 2023 he was awarded the RPS Instrumentalist Award for his performances and collaborations which "blaze with creation, sending audiences home on a high".

Selaocoe thrives in exploratory settings, developing new projects with contemporaries, and enjoys close collaborations with musicians from a medley of genres, including Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Seckou Keita, Manchester Collective, Giovanni Sollima and Dudù Kouaté. In 2016, Selaocoe formed Chesaba – a trio specialising in music from the African continent, including many of his own compositions – and in 2022 formed the Bantu Ensemble who perform his music widely. 

Selaocoe is Artistic Partner of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Artist in Association with the BBC Singers and Artist in Residence with Kölner Philharmonie, performing with each several times throughout the season. In the 2024/25 season, he makes his debut at Verbier Festival with a solo recital and tours internationally with the Bantu Ensemble, including the quartet’s debut performances at Carnegie Hall, La Jolla Music Society and Trondheim Chamber Music Festival. He also tours the UK and Europe with Manchester Collective.

Selaocoe continues to perform his solo cello concerto Four Spirits throughout 2024/25 with performances with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal and on a European tour with Aurora Orchestra, including to venues such as Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Isarphilharmonie Munich and Southbank Centre London. 2024/25 will also feature the world premieres of two works which Selaocoe will write for the Signum Quartet and The Hermes Experiment, who premiere the new works in October 2024 (Kölner Philharmonie) and November 2024 (Wigmore Hall) respectively.

Selaocoe completed his International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in July 2018. In May 2021, he was announced as an inaugural Power Up Music Creator participant in PRS Foundation’s new initiative to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector and in July 2021, he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation award for his compositional work. 

Selaocoe plays a copy of a circa 1735 Montagnana, made by Robin Aitchison in 2020 with the generous support of the Alan Powell Trust.

Abel Selaocoe is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics.