Òscar Alabau

Cello Soloist

Principal Cellist of the Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Professor at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.

Larsen Strings for Cello

About Òscar

Òscar Alabau made his solo debut at London’s Wigmore Hall and has since performed extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe at venues including St John’s Smith Square, the Barbican Hall, L’Auditori de Barcelona and the Palau de la Música Catalana.

He has appeared at festivals including the Gstaad Festival, IMS Prussia Cove, Aspen Music Festival and School, Santander International Festival, Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival and the City of London Festival, collaborating with artists such as Janine Jansen, Eldar Nebolsin, Antonio Meneses and Wolfram Christ. He has also premiered works by Albert Guinovart, performing alongside the composer, and the latest solo cello work by J. S. Abdelmoula.

Born in Barcelona, Oscar Alabau began his cello studies with his father, Joaquim Alabau. In 2006, he entered the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where he studied with Louise Hopkins, completing both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Performance, followed by the Solo Artist Diploma on a full scholarship from the Guildhall School Trust.

Larsen Strings for Cello

Oscar Alabau

Professor at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.

His studies were supported by scholarships from the Pau Casals Foundation, the Generalitat de Catalunya, Juventuts Musicals de Madrid, the MBF, the Craxton Trust and the Worshipful Company of Musicians of London. Other important mentors in his artistic development include Lluís Claret at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu and Ralf Gothóni at the Reina Sofía School of Music.

A prizewinner in numerous national and international competitions, Alabau’s awards include the Guilhermina Suggia International Competition, Primer Palau, Juventuts Musicals, the Tillett Trust Young Artist Platform Prize, the BBVA Montserrat Alavedra Prize and the Prince’s Prize in London.

In 2026, Pau Casals’ historic Matteo Goffriller cello was entrusted to Alabau during its stay in Catalonia, culminating in his performance at the official celebration of the 150th anniversary of Casals’ birth.

He currently performs on a 1745 Camillus Camilli cello (Mantua), generously loaned by Mrs Ursula Herman, with a Thibouville-Lamy bow funded by the Wolfson Foundation and a Lafleur School bow on loan from Brompton’s, London.

Original images: Andrej Grilc