Thomas Piel

Born in Cologne in 1974, Thomas Piel received his first cello instruction as a child, then, following his schoolleaving examination and military service, studied with Prof. Christoph Richter at the Folkwang Academy in Essen, passing his artist's final examination in 2000. There followed post-graduate studies for the concert examinations with Prof. Xenia Jankovich as well as master courses with Marcio Carneiro, Yvan Chiffoleau, Sieg­fried Palm, Thomas Demenga and Mstislav Rostropovich, among others.

As a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and its Chamber Orchestra, he has worked with Lothar Zagrosek, Rudolf Barschai, Thomas Zehetmair and Tatjana Grindenko. He participated in the Bavarian Radio Orchestral Academy under Rostropovich, was cofounder of the new music ensemble “eMeX” and became solo cellist of the Westfalian Chamber Philharmonic in 1997, with which he also appeared as soloist.

Since 2001 he has been a member of the Real filharmonia de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and concertises regularly with the Stella Piano Trio and with his wife, the pianist Emmanuelle Janisz.