Gerard Le Feuvre was born in the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands in 1962. Like many of his generation, his musical inspiration as a child came from Jaqueline Du Pre (also descended from a Jersey family), with whom he is distantly related, and today Gerard’s career has spanned many parts of the globe as solo cellist, chamber musician, orchestral principal cellist, composer, and director of the Kings Chamber Orchestra.

As a student Gerard won scholarships to the Royal Academy of Music, the Banff School of Performing Arts (Canada) and the Sibelius Academy (Finland), studying with some of the greatest teachers and cellists in the world. He was awarded the Lloyd’s Bank national award for “outstanding musicianship and musical attainment” as principal cello in the National Youth Orchestra, and also gained first prize (CBS Records award) in the Royal Society of Arts national competition.

Over the last 20 years Gerard has given over 500 recitals, many with the distinguished British pianist Nigel Clayton, and has performed concertos in the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, and in the USA. He was for 7 years the cellist of the internationally renowned “English String Quartet” (led by Diana Cummings). Gerard as well as appearing in Milton Keynes as principal cello has free-lanced, playing principal with the English Chamber Orchestra, the English Sinfonia, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra, and many other distinguished chamber orchestras as well as continuing to appear in the UK and abroad as soloist. He recently received a standing ovation at the Masterworks Arts Festival in up-state New York for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations for cello and orchestra, and a repeat performance in Princeton New Jersey was also highly acclaimed in the press.

In addition to his career as a cellist, Gerard founded a chamber orchestra, the Kings Chamber Orchestra, 20 years ago which today gives between 40 and 50 concerts a year. This rather pioneering group is renowned for improvisations which deeply touch audiences, as well as performing regular repertoire, and is regularly invited to appear in major festivals in the UK. In the year 2000, the Royal Academy of Music awarded Gerard the title of “Associate” in honour of his “outstanding achievements in the music profession”.

Many of his own compositions have received outstanding success with many performances and recordings. A 2004 commission resulted in a 30-minute work for Symphony orchestra, choir, children’s choir, off stage brass, and additional crowd of bell ringers! This work entitled “The Rock”and dedicated to his home island, has received 3 performances, each to a standing ovation, was described in the island’s press as “the greatest outpouring of emotion in living memory”. Many of Gerard’s works as recordings are available on line, and to hear at www.kingschamberorchestra.co.uk