Artem Konstantinov
Cello
Artem Konstantinov, cello
"… such lyrical profundity and emotional depth" Financial Times
Artem Konstantinov is one of the most famous musicians in Asia. He is a veteran cellist, conductor, teacher and talented composer. He studied at the Moscow State Conservatory and received a doctorate at the London Guildhall School of Music and Dramatic Art.
For 13 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Artem was the Principal Cellist of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and the Guest Principal Cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also served as a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University and Harrow International School, and previously served as the principal cellist of the Shenzhen Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as professor at the Shenzhen Art School. He has initiated new courses such as chamber music, quartet and orchestra at the art school. His teaching has produced many winners of international competitions who have entered prestigious universities around the world.
One of his unique achievements is the Asian premiere of two cello concertos by Dmitry Shostakovich in China. Artem has also commissioned and performed world premieres of new cello works by Richard Harvey (UK), Thérèse Brenet (France), Li Xinjing (Taiwan), Dani Howard (UK) and Lydia Ayres (USA). His playing has won widespread critical acclaim, with critics acclaiming his strong and individual style on both the traditional acoustic classical cello and the electric cello which he employs in contemporary music, electronic music and film scores.
Artem has been the Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra since 2013 and has also been recognized for his compositional work, including the original score for the documentary "Escape", which was featured and awarded at the 2021 Doker International Film Festival.