Michael Petrov

Michael Petrov was born in Bulgaria and began to play the cello at the age of six. When he was seven he played Vivaldi's cello concerto in A minor with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and this was followed by solo appearances with various orchestras in Bulgaria, and also concerts in Frankfurt and Munich, where he performed Haydn's C Major with the Munich Chamber Orchestra. He has won a number of competitions in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. He has played in masterclasses with Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Franz Helmerson and Tilmann Wick in Kronberg, and also Young Chang Cho, Robert Cohen, Stefan Popov and Xenia Jankovic. In 2002 he was awarded a cello from the Rostropovich Foundation. In September 2005 he took a full scholarship to attend the Yehudi Menuhin School, where he studied with Thomas Carroll. Since joining the school he has played in a number of concerts, as soloist, member of the school orchestra, and chamber musician; in the latter role he has performed at venues including Fairfield Halls and the Swiss Ambassador's Residence. In May 2007 he performed Haydn's D major Concerto with the London Mozart Players at The Menuhin Hall, and in July 2008 he was one of the soloists in a concert arranged by the School at Wigmore Hall. He has recently won the Guilhermina Suggia prize and the Muriel Taylor cello prize. He was kindly awarded a full scholarship to continue his education at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama where he is under the tuition of Louise Hopkins.

In 2011 he won the International Suggia Competition in Porto where, in addition to the 1^st prize, he was awarded Guilhermina Suggia’s very own Montagnana cello.

He plays on a William Forster cello c. 1790 generously given to him by Mr. Hugh Richards.