Chamber-musician, solo-cellist, orchestral principal and renowned teacher, Richard Lester was a member of the award-winning Florestan Trio, a founder-member of the ensemble Domus and was a member of Hausmusik and the London Haydn Quartet.
He was principal cello with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has been principal with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe since 1989. Currently, he is a member of the Gould Piano Trio with whom he co-curates an annual festival in Corbridge, Northumberland.
He has made over forty discs of chamber music, including the complete works of Mendelssohn for cello and piano, and a disc of Boccherini sonatas on period instruments. Together with violinist Anthony Marwood, he is co-director of the Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival in East Sussex. He teaches at the Royal College of Music in London.
When not performing or teaching, Richard is happiest cooking, eating and drinking, preferably on a boat.
A day in the life: what does the structure of your day generally look like?
My daily life rarely has any regular structure or routine. No two days are the same, which can be challenging, especially for family life, but also brings excitement and unpredictability.
Intimate venues versus a huge concert hall: which do you prefer?
I prefer to perform in a small venue where the audience is on top of you and you can see the whites of their eyes.
Which famous person would you most like to collaborate with, dead or alive?!
I would like to have dinner with Mozart, go to the pub with Brahms, a walk in the country with Schubert and attend a football match with Beethoven.