Betsy Taylor
Betsy is a founder member of the highly acclaimed Glasgow String Quartet and is also an active member of the RSNO Chamber Music Series. She teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at both the Junior and Senior Departments. She has performed as Guest Principal Cello with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, RSNO, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Sinfonia and the Northern Sinfonia.
Betsy began playing the cello at the age of six and studied with Michael Evans of the Dartington String Quartet. In 1990 she was awarded a place on the Joint Course at the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University, studying with the Russian soloist Leonid Gorokhov. During this time she received masterclasses from Ralph Kirschbaum, Moray Welsh and Steven Isserlis. Four years later she graduated from the RNCM with a Diploma in Professional Performance and a Bachelor of Music Degree from Manchester University.
During her time at the RNCM Betsy won several prizes and was a finalist in the Pierre Fournier Award with pianist Steven Osborne, performing in the Wigmore Hall, and the BBC Young Artists Forum, performing live on BBC Radio 3.
Betsy’s first professional position was Principal Cello of the Brunel Ensemble with which she recorded several CDs. As a frequent soloist she performed Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto and Nicola Lefanu’s Diva in the Brighton Festival, and also toured to the USA with the South Carolina Philharmonic performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and several Vivaldi concerti. During this time she worked with the English Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. She also recorded in London with famous popular artists; Nigel Kennedy, Martine McCutcheon, Gary Barlow, John Barry, Lesley Garrett, Russell Watson and Katherine Jenkins, and was solo cello on several Divine Comedy albums.
In January 2000 Betsy became Assistant Principal Cello of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra touring extensively abroad. More recently, Betsy was promoted to Associate Principal with the RSNO in 2013.
Betsy plays a fine Joseph Hill cello made in 1770.