Cello
Sébastien Walnier likes to use all the opportunities of 21st century and had many experiences to enrich himself with different musical styles.
He is Principal Cello of the Opera de la Monnaie in Brussels.
He has been exposed to chamber music from a very early age. This ever growing passion has led him to perform with musicians of international renown, such as Roland Pidoux, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Lorenzo Gatto, Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, Liviu Prunaru, Boris Belkin, Gaby Van Riet …
Sebastien Walnier started playing the cello at a very early age with Laurent Chantraine. He won a first prize at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège (Belgium) at the age of 13, and obtained post-graduate diplomas in cello (with Maryse Douin) and in chamber music (with Cécile Evrard) four years later. He taught chamber music at that same conservatory from 2001 till 2008. He also studied with Edmond Carlier, a disciple of André Navarra. His meeting with Roland Pidoux at CNSM in Paris has had a decisive influence on his career. He has also benefited from Daria Hovora’s and Michaël Hentz counsels/directions.
He’s a founding member of Trio Talweg (Alexander Gurning, piano and Sebastien Surel, violin) and makes arrangements for his Cello Octet, Ô-Celli. In addition, for several years he has been playing jazz on stage with Andre Klenes (double-bass) and the group Moonly Delights, and has founded the jazz-fusion group named Blade Runner with Jeanfrançois Prins (guitar).
Sébastien Walnier was awarded “Musician of the Year 2012” by the Belgian Musical Press Union.
He’s playing on a cello by Giovanni Grancino from 1699.
