List of women classical cellists

The following is a list of women classical cellists by nationality – notable women who are well known for their work in the field of classical music.

Argentina

 * Sol Gabetta (born 1981), classical cellist, orchestral performer, recording artist and educator, now resident in Switzerland

Australia

 * Christine Jackson (1962–2016), British-born Australian cellist, member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, played didgeridoo duos

Belgium

 * Flavie Van den Hende (1865–1925), Belgian-born and -trained cellist, worked and died in the US

Canada

 * Soo Bae (born 1977), Korean-born Canadian cellist now in New York
 * Gisela Depkat Canadian cellist, recitalist, instructor, recording artist (Kodaly Solo Sonata, etc). Recently wrote in Strad Magazine about her famous instructor Georg Neikrug.


 * Denise Djokic (born 1980), cellist, soloist and recitalist
 * Suzette Forgues Halasz (1918–2004), cellist and musical educator, orchestral principal cellist
 * Amanda Forsyth (born 1966), recitalist, soloist and chamber musician
 * Ofra Harnoy (born 1965), prominent Israeli-born Canadian cellist, award-winning soloist and recording artist
 * Dorothy Lawson (fl. 1990s), cellist, chamber musician and composer based in New York City
 * Dáirine Ní Mheadhra (fl. 1990s), Irish-born Canadian cellist, conductor and opera producer
 * Zara Nelsova (1918 - 2002), cellist from Winnipeg
 * Shauna Rolston (born 1967), child prodigy, recitalist and soloist, educator

China

 * Jiaxin Cheng (born 1974), soloist, recitalist and recording artist now based in London, married Julian Lloyd Webber
 * Tina Guo (born 1985), Chinese-American cellist, practising classical and modern genres, soloist and recording artist
 * Ma Siju (1920–2014), pianist and cellist, recognized educator, retired in 1986

Czech Republic

 * Michaela Fukačová (born 1959), award-winning classical cellist

Ecuador

 * Teodelinda Terán Hicks (1889–1959), Ecuadorian cellist, trained in London, based in California

France

 * Valérie Aimard (born 1969), concert cellist, chamber musician and recording artist
 * Martine Bailly (born 1946), classical cellist, first cello of the Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris
 * Emmanuelle Bertrand (born 1973), award-winning soloist and recording artist
 * Lisa Cristiani (1827–1853), classical cellist, one of the first professional female cellists in Europe
 * Reine Flachot (1922–1998), international cellist and educator
 * Ophélie Gaillard (born 1974), cellist, chamber musician and educator
 * Anne Gastinel (born 1971), international cellist, performances from the age of 12, educator
 * Astrig Siranossian (born 1988), child prodigy, concert performed, chamber musician and recording artist
 * Mathilde Sternat (fl. 1995), chamber musician and arranger
 * Agnès Vesterman (fl. 1980s), duet performer, recording artist and educator
 * Sonia Wieder-Atherton (born 1961), Franco-American orchestral soloist, chamber musician and recording artist

Germany

 * Kristin von der Goltz (born 1966), German-Norwegian cellist, specializing in baroque, chamber musician
 * Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (born 1987), award-winning young cellist
 * Eva Heinitz (1907–2001), cellist, violist and educator who settled in the United States
 * Bettina Hoffmann (born 1959), viola da gambist, cellist, musicologist and educator
 * Maria Kliegel (born 1952), cellist, recording artist and educator
 * Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (born 1925), cellist, surviving member of the Women's Orchestra in Auschwitz
 * Margarethe Quidde (1858–1940), Prussian-born cellist, writer, pacifist in Munich
 * Eleonore Schoenfeld (1925–2007), influential 20th-century cellist, recording artist and educator

Hungary

 * Rozsi Varady (1902–1933), concert cellist popular in the United States and Europe

Ireland

 * Ailbhe McDonagh (born 1982), soloist, chamber musician and composer

Lithuania

 * Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė (born 1976), founding member of the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, orchestral concert performer

Luxembourg

 * Françoise Groben (1965–2011), cellist playing with many notable orchestras, chamber musician and recording artist

Netherlands

 * Josephine van Lier (born 1968), performing cellist specialized in baroque, contemporary and chamber music, residing in Canada
 * Mayke Rademakers (fl. 2000s), recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, recording artist

Norway

 * Birgitta Elisa Oftestad (born 2002), soloist, chamber musician

Portugal

 * Guilhermina Suggia (1885–1950), worked with Pablo Casals in Paris, toured internationally, also chamber musician

Russia

 * Tanya Anisimova (born 1966), cellist and composer
 * Natalia Gutman (born 1942), soloist, chamber musician, interested in contemporary music
 * Nina Kotova (born 1969), recitalist and soloist with major orchestras, educator and recording artist
 * Anna Luboshutz (1887–1975), major career in Russia as a soloist and chamber musician
 * Natalia Shakhovskaya (1935–2017), award-winning international cellist and educator
 * Tatjana Vassiljeva (born 1977), award-winning Russian cellist, appeared with many notable orchestras and toured widely

Serbia

 * Maja Bogdanović (born 1982), classical cellist now based in Paris
 * Jelena Mihailović (born 1987), classical and contemporary cellist based in Belgrade and Los Angeles

South Korea

 * Myung-wha Chung (born 1944), concert cellist, chamber musician and educator, now based in New York City
 * Han-na Chang (born 1982), conductor and cellist
 * Su-a Lee (fl. 1998), cellist, member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, recording artist
 * Hee-Young Lim (born 1987), award-winning classical cellist, principal solo cellist with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
 * Meehae Ryo (born 1967), international soloist and educator

Sweden

 * Walborg Lagerwall (1851–1940), toured Scandinavia, cellist at the Royal Swedish Opera

Switzerland

 * Anna Kull (1841-1923), first generation of female concert cellists, only performed until age of 19 - see: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Kull
 * Irene Güdel (1930-2023), classical concert cellist, taught at Hochschule für Musik Detmold (1957-1995)- see: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Güdel

United Kingdom

 * Natalie Clein (born 1977), classical cellist, chamber musician and recording artist
 * Caroline Dale (born 1965), cellist and recording artist
 * Marie Dare (1902–1976), Scottish cellist and composer for cello
 * Jacqueline du Pré (1945–1987), prominent cellist performing internationally with numerous orchestras, career cut short by multiple sclerosis
 * Amaryllis Fleming (1925–1999), classical cellist, chamber musician, Baroque cello performer and educator
 * Olga Hegedus (1920–2017), cellist, co-principal of the English Chamber Orchestra
 * Louise Hopkins (born 1968), international soloist, broadcaster and educator
 * Peggie Sampson (1912–2004), cellist, viola da gambist and educator
 * Anna Shuttleworth (1927–2021), cellist and educator
 * Amanda Truelove (born 1961), cellist and educator

United States

 * Eleanor Aller (1917–1995), cellist, chamber musician and principal cellist in the Warner Bros Studio Orchestra
 * Cecylia Barczyk (fl. 1980s), Polish-born American cellist and educator
 * Maya Beiser (born 1963), Israeli-born American cellist and producer
 * Evangeline Benedetti (born 1941), first female cellist of the New York Philharmonic
 * Phoebe Carrai (born 1955), cellist, chamber musician and educator
 * Alison Chesley (born 1960), cellist, composer and recording artist
 * Kristina Reiko Cooper (fl. 1990s), cellist, solo artist, chamber musician and recording artist
 * Nadine Deleury (fl. 1980s), French-born American cellist, chamber opera performer and educator
 * Kate Dillingham (fl. 1993), cellist, soloist and chamber musician
 * Eileen Folson (1956–2007), composer and cellist
 * Raya Garbousova (1909–1997), cellist and educator
 * Sarah Gurowitsch (1889–1981), Russian-born American cellist
 * Elsa Hilger (1904–2005), Austrian-born American cellist who gave recitals until she was 95
 * Mimi Hwang (fl. 1980s), cellist and chamber musician
 * Joan Jeanrenaud (born 1956), cellist and recording artist
 * Maureen May (born 1962), cellist and conductor
 * Zara Nelsova (1918–2002), Canadian-born American orchestral cellist and chamber musician who performed from an early age
 * Maxine Neuman (born 1948), chamber musician, orchestral cellist and educator
 * Sharon Robinson (born 1949), cellist, concert solo artist, chamber musician and recording artist
 * Marcy Rosen (fl. 1980s), concerto cellist, chamber musician and educator
 * Sara Sant'Ambrogio (born 1962), chamber musician, member of the Eroica Trio, interested in contemporary composers
 * Eleonore Schoenfeld (1924–2007), one of the 20th century's most influential cellists
 * Eleonore Schoenfeld (born 1993), cellist and concert performer
 * Frances-Marie Uitti (born 1948), cellist known for performing contemporary classical music
 * Christine Walevska (born 1945), international classical cellist, recording artist and educator
 * Wendy Warner (born c. 1972), international orchestral cellist, chamber musician and educator
 * Alisa Weilerstein (born 1982), classical cellist, soloist and chamber musician
 * Olga Zilboorg (1933–2017), Mexican-born American cellist and educator