Apply here!

Welcome to the Aboyne Cello Festival and Summer School!

Started back in 2005, the Aboyne Cello Festival is now established as one of the cello highlights of the year.

Eight days of intensive cello workshops, lessons, chamber music, cello orchestra and all-round Cello Inspiration, all set in an incredibly beautiful part of Scotland. Our wonderful team of world class tutors will get fully involved in nurturing the development of all cellists on the summer school. 

We welcome participants of all ages and stages and can offer a bespoke experience. There are sessions for adult amateurs as well as intensive sessions for young professionals, conservatoire students and those working towards music conservatoire. There are also opportunities for younger students to have group and individual lessons.

In 2020, we were forced to take the festival online, but it was  a good mix of fantastic lessons and fun social cello playing and cello chat!  We also managed to bring a flavour of our Aberdeenshire home to the week with a Scottish cello workshop, and stream some great concerts on our YouTube Channel which were enjoyed by people as far away as Australia!

In 2021 we had a blend of live lessons and orchestra in 3 parts of the UK, and fantastic online sessions exploring Feuillard, Popper, Bach and Beethoven as well as Traditional Scottish cello, art of teaching and cello basics.

2022 – Everything should be live again this year and the Aboyne Cello Festival will bring recitals that would grace top venues anywhere in the world, and teachers of major international standing to this fantastic part of Aberdeenshire, and we look forward to welcoming you as a student or a member of the audience very soon.

Please contact us for further information, follow our  Facebook page,  our  Instagram  and apply here!

James Halsey
Festival Director

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About

The Aboyne Cello Festival and Summer School is known to be a fun, supportive cello summer school based in wonderful surroundings with an ethos of friendship and positive thinking and the very best international cellist tutors. The core of the course is designed for conservatoire level students, but we also inspire teenagers, professionals, adult amateurs grade 6+, and include coaching for younger participants. If you play the cello but are unsure about what you would want to be involved with, please get in touch to find out more about which parts of the course would be suitable for you!

The Aboyne Cello Festival is open to all ages from 7+ and of any standard. The advised standard for those participating in the Cello Orchestra is grade 6+.

Read more about individual lessons, masterclasses and workshops, cello orchestra, and accompanists/chamber music.

Apply here to secure your place to be part of this fantastic cello festival!

Below is a typical schedule for the week when the festival runs live in Scotland:

Date Morning Afternoon

Evening
Sunday Cello Orchestra Rehearsal Cello Orchestra Rehearsal Rebecca Gilliver and Sophia Rahman Cello and Piano Recital
Monday Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland
Adults – Aboyne		 Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland
Adults – Aboyne		  Young Artist Finn Mannion Recital
Tuesday Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Scottish Music Session
Wednesday Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland
Adults – Aboyne		 Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland
Adults – Aboyne		 The Three Cellos Concert
Thursday Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Film Night (optional)
Friday Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Lessons/Workshops
Students – Tarland		 Students’ Concert
Saturday Cello Orchestra Rehearsal Alice Neary and David Adams Cello and Violin Recital Rehearsals as necessary
Sunday   Morning Off Cello Orchestra Rehearsal Giant Cello Ensemble Concert                        MacRobert Memorial Hall, Tarland

Apply Now!

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Concerts

2022 concerts are as follows:  Concert leaflet with booking info will come soon!

Aboyne Cello Festival 2022 – Concerts

Packed into the week, five fantastic concerts featuring cello and wonderful cellists in a variety of guises, from serene unaccompanied Bach to foot tapping Bernstein for cello orchestra and everything in between.

Sunday 24th July                      7.30pm Phoenix Centre, Newton Dee

Rebecca Gilliver, principal cello of the  L.S.O., cello, with Sophia Rahman, piano.

Monday 25th July                    7.30pm Aboyne Theatre

Aboyne Cello Festival Young Artist 2022 Finn Mannion, remarkable young cellist originally hailing from Highland Perthshire and now studying in Switzerland, cello, with Sophia Rahman, piano.

Wednesday 27th July             7.30pm The Barn, Banchory

The Three Cellists

Alice Neary, Rebecca Gilliver, James Halsey

A rare chance to hear these fine cellists and experience their enjoyment of playing together.

Saturday 30th July                   2pm St. Thomas Church, Aboyne

David Adams (Concertmaster of Welsh National Opera Orchestra} and Alice Neary (principal cello, BBC National Orchestra of Wales), exciting chamber music for violin and cello.

Sunday 31st July                      7.30pm MacRobert Hall, Tarland

The Giant Cello Orchestra

A fun finale to the week with eclectic music for multi cellos!

Concerts are held at:

Aboyne Theatre

The Barn

Newton Dee Phoenix Centre

MacRobert Hall, Tarland

St. Thomas’ Church, Aboyne

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Contact