Abel Selaocoe, cello
Sunday October 5, 2025 at 3:00pm
Tickets start at $49
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Sunday October 5, 2025 at 3:00pm
Abel Selaocoe is a boundary-breaking South African cellist who’s redefining what classical music can be. This remarkable artist moves effortlessly between musical worlds, weaving together Western classical traditions with the rich musical heritage of Africa. In this performance, Selaocoe will take you on a journey from Johann Sebastian Bach to his own compelling compositions, as well as new commissions (NY premieres) by Colin Alexander, Kit Downes, and Ben Nobuto. His passion for making classical music accessible to everyone shines through in every note. Prepare for a concert that will challenge your expectations and open your ears to new possibilities.
Program
MICHEL VAN DER AA / ABEL SELAOCOE: New Work (New York Premiere)
BEN NOBUTO: New Work (New York premiere)
ABEL SELAOCOE: new works (New York premiere)
J.S BACH: Excerpts from the 3rd, 5th & 6th Suites for Cello
COLIN ALEXANDER: Alva’s Riff
KIT DOWNES: Selection from 52 studies for right hand
Abel Selaocoe’s Biography
South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is one of the most captivating performers on the world stage today. With an irresistible energy, he has taken the world by storm since bursting onto the scene in 2021 with his BBC Proms debut. Whether with symphony orchestras, in iconic club venues or at major mainstream festivals, Abel combines virtuosic cello and vocal performance with improvisation and sweeps audiences along in captivating shows which blaze with creation, sending audiences home on a high.
Abel grew up in Sebokeng, where he first began learning cello with his brother at the African Cultural Organisation of South Africa (ACOSA) in Soweto. Abel’s affinity for the cello became quickly apparent and he continued his studies on scholarship at St John’s College before moving to the UK where he found a musical home at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. In Manchester, he met the musicians who are now his most regular collaborators, and this has led to the formation of his bands, Chesaba and the Bantu Ensemble.
Abel has quickly amassed fans all over the world, who connect with his music on a visceral and deeply personal level. His debut album on Warner Classics Hae Ke Kae was released to critical acclaim in 2022 and his second album Hymns of Bantu was released on 21 February 2025, celebrating his South African heritage and tracing his ancestral path that leads into his vast influences including Western classical repertoire.
Abel plays a copy of a circa 1735 Montagnana, made by Robin Aitchison in 2020 with the generous support of the Alan Powell Trust.
To learn more about Abel Selaocoe, visit his website.
