Ellie Winter (b. 1995) is currently studying for a Master of Arts in cello at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tuition of Nicholas Trygstad.
Ellie began her cello studies with Josephine Horder. She demonstrated great musical promise from an early age, winning the Marguerite Swan Prize for Cello aged twelve. She was awarded places in numerous prestigious youth orchestras, including the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, the Barbican Youth Orchestra (under Sir Colin Davis), and the Chiltern Youth Chamber Orchestra. In a compliment to her ‘cello studies, Ellie also studied conducting in 2009 under Natalia Luis-Bassa. Since then, Ellie has learnt with Peter Adams and Julia Debruslais, and has been invited to take masterclasses with Adrian Bradbury and Steven Doane. She has attended the Cello Classics International Soloist Course (Tereglio, Italy) for two consecutive years, where she received tuition from Raphael Wallfisch, Sebastian Comberti and Baroque specialist Roel Dieltiens.
Ellie is a graduate (BA Hons I ii) from Pembroke College, University of Oxford (2016). She combined her studies with a programme of performances as both a soloist and ensemble musician. In addition to solo recitals, Ellie was a principal of the Oxford University Philharmonic Orchestra, and collaborated with the Oxford University Orchestra alongside renowned soloists such as Midori, Ian Bostrige and Luis Parés.
Ellie is also a long-standing member of the highly regarded Orchestra for the Earth (formerly the St Peter’s Chamber Orchestra), which has earned critical acclaim for its collaborations with international soloists such as Carson Becke, and its 2017 & 2018 Alpine Tours, which saw the orchestra perform chamber reductions of Mahler’s 4th & 9th Symphonies at three of the composer’s celebrated composing hut locations.
Ellie has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in a number of distinguished London venues, notably St Martins-in-the-Fields, and the Barbican. She has worked with numerous chamber ensembles, including the Zima String Trio and Laetus Piano Trio. Her ensemble work extends across many genres, and includes collaborations with jazz musician Jacqui Dankworth, and singer-songwriter Sam Garrett.
Ellie is committed to ensuring young musicians with potential can access similar opportunities, and works regularly with the National Children’s Orchestras as a member of Social Staff teams.
She is also self-employed editor and journalist of Gigabite Music Blog, a site dedicated to reviews of live music and thought-provoking interviews with musicians of all genres.
