Credit: Todd Field

Sophie Kauer

Cello | 2024 Julius Isserlis Scholarship

A note from Sophie

I am incredibly grateful to the RPS for awarding me this prestigious scholarship, facilitating my further study with Torleif Thedeén at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He is a very inspiring teacher, amazing player (what a sound!), incredibly supportive and kind person as well as being fantastic at giving advice. Not only is he great at teaching the technical and musical aspects of cello playing, but also the mental and psychological aspects (which are just as important in my opinion). Starting my Bachelors degree abroad in the pandemic did mean that we lost a fair bit of face-to-face time, so I am really pleased to be getting two more years with him!

The support from the RPS will also enable me to be a lot more selective about how I spend my time and focus on my studies wholeheartedly without financial worries. The opportunity to scale back in order to focus on my playing and get the most out of these next two years with Torleif is one I hugely appreciate and feel will be very beneficial for me and my career in the long run.

Biography

Sophie Kauer, born in London in 2001, is currently studying at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Torleif Thedeén. Previously, she was a private student of Melissa Phelps and a scholarship student in the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

She was selected from hundreds of cellists worldwide for a leading role in the film TÁR, written and directed by Todd Field, starring Cate Blanchett. Sophie played live in the film, appearing with the Dresdner Philharmonie. She also recorded music for the soundtrack album with the London Symphony Orchestra which went to No. 1 on the US Classical Billboard chart. With her debut EP Unsung released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2023, she became the youngest artist to reach No. 1 on the Classical On-Demand Audio Streaming Chart. She is a Classic FM ‘Rising Star,’ and was chosen by The Times as the Classical Breakthrough nominee for the 2023 South Bank Sky Arts Awards. She was named ‘One to Watch’ by People magazine and a ‘Rising Star of Stage and Screen for 2023’ by The Evening Standard.

Recent highlights include the Bach300 Festival in Leipzig, alongside Lang Lang and Daniel Hope, Festspillene in Bergen alongside Amalie Stalheim and the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates in the Intensive Music Weeks offered by the Academy.

Social Media

You can keep up to date with Sophie's work by following her social media pages: