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Moray Welsh – cellist

Born near Edinburgh, Moray Welsh completed studies under Rostropovich at the Moscow Conservatoire. He pursued a career as a solo cellist and teacher before becoming Principal Cellist of the LSO from 1992 to 2007. His solo work included four appearances at the Proms, and many Concertos with the LSO under many distinguished conductors such as Sir Colin Davies, Raphael Frubeck de Burgos and Andre Previn. After leaving the LSO he played for ten years in a Piano Trio with Peter Cropper and Martin Roscoe. His busy life as a musician left little time for one of his other passions, painting, but in recent years he has had solo exhibitions in London and Hay on Wye, as well as undertaking commissions. Now living in Yorkshire, the expansive scenery of the dales is providing new inspiration.

What has creating art meant to you over the last year?

Painting during lockdown has been a more focussed practice than normal, but, curiously, the “open-ended” space has not always been a stimulus, as a balance between music and art has always been important to me. But it has certainly reinforced the urge to express creativity in one form or another.