Richard Belcher

cello

New Zealand cellist Richard Belcher joined the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2019. He was the founding cellist of the Grammynominated Enso String Quartet with whom he toured for two decades, frequently performing in many of the great concert halls throughout the world, as well as making several highly acclaimed recordings. From 2008, Mr. Belcher has been principal cello of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston, Texas. This season he has performed concertos with both the SPCO and ROCO, the latter in a premiere performance of Mark Adamo’s cello concerto Last Year. Since 2018, Mr. Belcher has been the Artistic Director of Music on the Hill, a chamber music series in Mankato, Minnesota. He continues to be a frequent guest at festivals throughout the United States.

Mr. Belcher moved to the United States in 1998 to study for his master’s degree with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, and it was there that he co-founded the Enso Quartet. He plays a cello made by N.F Vuillaume in 1856. Mr. Belcher lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Cecilia Belcher, the assistant principal second violin of the Minnesota Orchestra, and their two young children.

Martin Friedmann Legacy Artist