Hailed by The Times as a “remarkable cellist” and described by Gramophone as “sheer perfection”, Kian Soltani’s playing is characterised by a depth of expression, sense of individuality and technical mastery, alongside a charismatic stage presence and ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience. He is now invited by the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and recital promoters, propelling him from rising star to one of the most talked about cellists performing today.
In the 2024-25 season, Kian Soltani makes several returns including with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Lahav Shani, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Cello Biënnale in Amsterdam and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; he will make his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. As a recitalist, he will join forces once again with Benjamin Grosvenor, Hyeyoon Park, and Timothy Ridout for a quartet tour and will also embark on several trio concerts with Renaud Capuçon and Mao Fujita across the season. In celebration of the Vienna Symphony’s 125th anniversary, he will tour Austria with the orchestra, performing the world premiere of Marcus Nigsch’s concerto written for him. He will also tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta in Asia as well as with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin across Europe.
He recently won Innovative Listening Experience Award at the coveted Opus Klassic Awards 2022, Germany’s most prestigious classical music prize which honours outstanding artists and recordings, for his “Cello Unlimited” album released back in October 2021 with Deutsche Grammophon with whom he is exclusively signed. Soltani attracted worldwide attention in April 2013 as winner of the International Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki. In February 2017 Soltani won Germany’s celebrated Leonard Bernstein Award and in December 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Credit Suisse Young Artist Award.
Born in Bregenz, Austria, in 1992 to a family of Persian musicians, Soltani began playing the cello at age four and was only twelve when he joined Ivan Monighetti’s class at the Basel Music Academy. As of October 2023, he holds position as a professor of cello at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria.
Kian Soltani plays “The London, ex Boccherini” Antonio Stradivari cello, kindly loaned to him by a generous sponsor through the Beares International Violin Society.
