Laura van der Heijden receives Critics’ Circle Emerging Artist Award
We are delighted to announce that cellist Laura van der Heijden has been presented with the Critics’ Circle Emerging Artist Instrumental Award.
At a special ceremony held at the London Coliseum on 24 September, Laura received the award from John Gilhooly (Artistic and Executive Director of Wigmore Hall), before performing alongside fellow award winners pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen and tenor John Findon. Together, they gave a stunning performance of a new arrangement of ‘Sedimentary’ by composer award recipient Gavin Higgins, taken from his 2025 song cycle ‘Speak of the North’.
Following on from her Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Instrumentalist of the Year earlier this year, this honour marks further recognition of Laura’s wide-ranging and distinctive contribution as both soloist and chamber musician in recent seasons.
In the words of the Critics’ Circle:
“Cellist Laura van der Heijden has in recent years become firmly established as one of the UK chamber music’s most interesting and consistently superb musicians, but with 2024 came a crescendo. Much revolved around the critically acclaimed releases and related live performances of two stunning new additions to her Chandos discography. And her profile as a concerto soloist grew via interpretations from Elgar to Martinů that drew praise for her nuance, subtlety, range of colours and virtuosity; and all while she continued to also breathe vivid new life into forgotten gems as a core member of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective. The panel is delighted to officially celebrate her inspiring, integrity-rich combination of artistry, individuality and excellence, and looks forward to what comes next.”
Find out more about the Critics’ Circle.