American cellist Raphael Bell enjoys a varied career as a principal cellist, chamber musician, teacher, and festival director. He is currently Principal Cello of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Belgium, co-Artistic Director of La Loingtaine in Montigny-sur-Loing (France), co-founder of Camerata Fontainebleau, and co-founder and co-Artistic Director of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival.
As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Berlin and Cologne Philharmonies, the Luzerner Theater, the Tokyo Suntory Hall and the Kyoto Concert Hall. He took part in the IMS Prussia Cove tour, which received the Chamber Music Award of the Royal Philharmonic Society in London, and has collaborated with musicians such as Steven Isserlis, James Ehnes, Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, and Ivry Gitlis, as well as with quartets including Brooklyn Rider, Dante and Orpheus, and with ensembles such as Oxalys and Japan’s Nagaokakyo Ensemble. He took part in the world premiere of Olli Mustonen’s Triptych for three cellos with Steven Isserlis and Steven Doane.
As a soloist, he has appeared with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Luft Ensemble, and the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, performing with Edo de Waart and touring the Brahms Double Concerto under Philippe Herreweghe. As a member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, he performed at the Lucerne Festival in the complete Mahler Symphony Cycle conducted by Claudio Abbado. He has also worked with the Munich Philharmonic, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Raphael studied at the Juilliard School with Harvey Shapiro, and later with Mario Brunello, Steven Isserlis, and Ferenc Rados.