Paul Watkins, cello (Princeton, NJ), has been a member of the Nash Ensemble since 1997 and will join the Emerson Quartet in the fall of 2013. As a chamber musician he has performed with Menahem Pressler, Jaime Laredo, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, and Vadim Repin. He was principal cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and performs regularly with the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, and City of Birmingham Symphony. During his solo career he has collaborated with conductors Paavo Berglund, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Sakari Oramo, Andrew Litton, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Mark Elder, Vernon Handley, Richard Hickox, Sir Andrew Davis, and Sir Charles Mackerras. Also a conductor, Paul has been Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, and a guest conductor of major orchestras in Europe and Asia. He studied with William Pleeth, Melissa Phelps, and Johannes Goritzki. He has recorded recital and concerto performances for the Chandos record label. Past Yellow Barn musician (2013)