B i o g r a p h y
Robert Wheatley is a musician focussing on collaborative music making on a broad spectrum. He's an versatile cellist and pianist performing in diverse fields. Having been brought up with classical music, he soon developed a passion for jazz, contemporary music and improvisation.
Robert is a dedicated member of several dynamic ensembles, including the contemporary music group S201, the improvisational collective Theater Filidonia, 55BPM, and the Treske String Quartet.
His performances have taken him worldwide, including appearances at South Korea’s Youngnam and Daegu Contemporary Music Festivals (2018, 2019), Poland’s Nasz Festival, and Germany’s Beethovenfest Bonn, alongside numerous other national and international venues.
He deeply values the relationship between composer and performer, having enjoyed premiering numerous works by emerging composers, as well as collaborating with established composers such as Erollynn Wallen and Andrew Norman.
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Robert began cello and piano lessons at age six through Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music’s Junior Strings Project, and at age ten, he began intense musical training at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, studying cello with Barbara Grunthal and Gillian Thoday, and piano with Helen Krizos.
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He continued his studies at Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen with Prof. Christoph Richter, where he received influential guidance from Michael Niesemann (improvisation coach) and Andreas Reiner (Chamber Music). Robert returned to Manchester for a masters at RNCM, studying under Nicholas Trygstad, with additional coaching in baroque cello from Susan Shepherd and improvisation from Steve Berry and Iain Dixon.
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During the COVID years, he was able to focus on Quartet playing, establishing the Emmeline Quartet and later becoming a member of Treske Quartet, pursuing mentorships with David Waterman, Donald Grant and Pavel Fisher.
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He currently plays on a cello from WE Hill & Sons workshop on loan from the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation.
Teaching plays a very important role in his work and he is passionate about working with and inspiring the younger generation. He is a regular member of the teaching faculty at South Creake Strings, a summer music course run by Katie Wearing comprising of orchestral and ensemble playing, and teaches piano and cello in King David High School in Manchester.
Aside from playing the cello, he is a keen and skilled arranger. He has arranged and successfully had performed arrangements for cello ensemble and string quartet, ranging from film music to jazz and funk.
Robert wouldn’t be where he is today without his passion for Chinese martial arts, which he has been training intensely since he was 9 years old. Performances at national and international competitions as well as travelling to China for training add to his list of experience.
