Gerard Flotats

Tillett Debut Artists 2024

Prize-winning Catalan cellist Gerard Flotats is a versatile young musician who performs a wide spectrum of music, ranging from Baroque works on historical instruments to contemporary pieces with electronics. A prizewinner of the “Primer Palau” and “Royal Over-Seas League” competitions, he has also been selected for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist, Tillett Debut, and Munster Trust Recital schemes, giving him ample performance experience from a young age. His recent engagements include concerts at venues such as Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, King’s Place, and the Pierre Boulez Saal.

Gerard recently graduated with an Artist Diploma from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, where he studied with Professor Frans Helmerson, with whom he continues to work at the Accademia Stauffer in Cremona, Italy. He previously graduated with honours in both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Academy of Music. There, he won various prizes in both solo and chamber settings, including the Regency Award, Homi Kanga for the best strings final recital, Duo, and Craxton Prizes. At the Academy, he also studied Baroque cello with Andrew Skidmore and chamber music with John Myerscough. He is indebted to many esteemed cellists for their guidance, especially his previous mentors Richard May, Peter Thiemann, and Xavier Roig. Gerard has participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Steven Isserlis, Mischa Maisky, Ralph Kirshbaum, Miklós Perényi, Jens Peter Maintz, Steven Doane, Gary Hoffman, Natasha Brofsky, Colin Carr, and Sung-Won Yang.

Flotats has been invited to perform at international music festivals, including Heidelberger Frühling, Kronberg Cello Festival, Yellow Barn, IMS Prussia Cove, Mendelssohn on Mull and SHMF. An avid chamber musician, Gerard has collaborated with renowned artists such as Daniel Hope, Anthony Marwood, Alasdair Beatson, Krzysztof Chorzelski, Gilbert Kalish, Jens Peter Maintz, Linus Roth, and the Doric Quartet. As a soloist, Gerard has performed many of the core cello concertos, including those by Dvořák, Haydn, Elgar, and Saint-Saëns, with the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, AIMS Festival Orchestra, OCCI, and the Cornwall Symphony Orchestra.

Through innovative performances, Gerard aims to make classical music more relevant and resonant for today’s audiences. He is passionate about showcasing lesser-known pieces and collaborates with composers to introduce contemporary music to new listeners. Gerard plays on an Amati cello from the 1680s.