Biography of Andreas Graf

The Basel-born cellist Andreas Graf combines artistic depth with stylistic versatility – performing on concert stages in Switzerland and internationally.

He is a permanent member of the Bern Symphony Orchestra and regularly appears in chamber music projects – for instance in the Duo Graf–Grandy and in other ensembles. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Kiel, the Jena Philharmonic, the Bern Chamber Orchestra, and the Swiss Chamber Orchestra. His appearances in various formations have taken him to concert series and festivals across Europe and the United States.

As an orchestral musician, Andreas Graf is a welcome guest with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Gstaad Festival Orchestra, and as principal cellist with the 21st Century Orchestra. In this role, he has participated in renowned international music events such as the Lucerne Festival, the Beijing Music Festival, and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

A particular highlight is his solo recording of the album HOPE – 12 Prayers for Cello and Orchestra, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road Studio and set to be released in 2025. The charity project brings together award-winning film composers from around the world and unites musical excellence with humanitarian engagement.

Graf received his training with Prof. Peter Hörr (Bern) and Prof. Michael Sanderling (Frankfurt/Main), where he earned his soloist diploma in 2007. He received important artistic inspiration in masterclasses with Janos Starker, Ralph Kirshbaum, Wolfgang Boettcher, and Gustav Rivinius – including as a participant of the renowned Kronberg Academy.

Alongside his concert career, Andreas Graf is also active in the field of film music: he regularly contributes to soundtrack productions for film composers and film projects.

Press reviews from his career attest to his musical expressiveness and technical command:
“With beautiful, warm, and sensitive cantilenas and immaculate intonation, cellist Andreas Graf enchanted his audience,” wrote the Schweizer Musikzeitung. The Thuner Tagblatt praised him for “an extremely sensitive musicality – a depth that is hardly imaginable.”

Andreas Graf knows how to bring classical music to life with a personal touch and stylistic range – whether on stage or in the studio.