2024 Radda Rise International String Competition
William Harris
Second Prize
•Cello and Bass Division of Category 4
William Harris is an accomplished cellist, pianist, and vocalist who has achieved significant recognition across multiple disciplines within just seven years of musical study. He holds a Fellowship Diploma in cello performance, a Licentiate Diploma in piano, and an Associate Diploma in voice. William graduated with First Class Honours in Music from Clare College, Cambridge, where he was also a choral scholar. He is currently pursuing advanced studies at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Steven Doane, Rosemary Elliott, and Joseph Johnson.
William has performed as a soloist in prominent venues across Europe, including renditions of Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 in the United Kingdom, Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 in Italy, and C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in both the U.K. and France. He has toured extensively as a cellist with the renowned Clare Choir and has presented solo recitals throughout the U.K., including a notable tour in Edinburgh.
In 2023, William attended prestigious festivals such as the Bowdoin International Music Festival and IMS Prussia Cove in Cornwall, U.K. Earlier this year, he was selected to participate in the Sitka Cello Seminar in Alaska, U.S.A. His growing reputation as a cellist was further solidified when he reached the semi-final stage of the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition in Croatia.
As an avid chamber musician, William has performed at distinguished venues including L.S.O. St. Luke’s in London and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. His piano trio recently won a concert series in Rochester, N.Y., dedicated to presenting music to children, a cause that holds special significance for him.