Payam Taghadossi

Born in Bregenz (A) in 1989 he grew up in a family of musicians and started his musical education at the age of four. Later during his studies he was influenced by Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of Arts and Rafael Rosenfeld at the University of Music FHNW Basel.

He received further impetus by attending masterclasses of David Geringas, Ivan Monighetti, Frans Helmerson, Wolfgang Boettcher, Miklos Perenyi, Reinhard Latzko, Jens-Peter Maintz, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt and Wenn-Sinn Yang.

He received scholarships by the Meadow Mount School of Music in New York, the P.E. Förderkreis Mannheim, the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein and the International Richard Wagner Association.

The cellist won several awards including 1st prize and a special award at the competition of the International „Fajr“ Music Festival and the 2nd prize at the International „Karl Davidov“ Cello Competition in Latvia. Furthermore he is a 5 times winner of the 1st prize at the Austrian national Prima La Musica Competition.

One focus of his musical activities is chamber music. He founded, together with Romaine Bolinger and Alexander Boeschoten, the piano trio “Gagliano Trio“ at the Zurich University of Arts. . In 2020 the Trio celebrates its 10th anniversary. Several concerts were recorded by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). Recently the ensemble triumphed at the chamber music competition of the August Pickart foundation.

Payam Taghadossi collected essential orchestral experience as an intern and substitute at the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. He performed as a principal cellist with the Basel Sinfonietta, Bron Chamber Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of Liechtenstein before the Basel Symphony Orchestra hired him in 2014. As a co-principal cellist he recently joined the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Gstaad Festival Orchestra.

Highlights of his career as soloist, chamber musician and orchestra musician include appearances at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (D), the Schubertiade Hohenems (A), the Rheingau Musik Festival (D), the Grafenegg Festival (A), the Mantova Chamber Music Festival (I), the Interlaken Classics Festival (CH), the Gstaad Festival (CH), the Prague Spring Festival (CZE), the Association for Chamber Music BOG Basel, the Kulturzentrum „La Prairie“ in Bellmund and the „Next Generation“ Festival in Bad Ragaz (CH).

Furthermore he has already been a guest at the most prestigious European and Asian concert venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Wiener Musikverein, the Tonhalle Zurich, the Suntory Hall Tokio, the Royal Festival Hall London, the Grand Theatre de Provence Aix-en-Provence, the Philharmonie München, the KKL Luzern, the Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg, the Palazzo Giuliari Verona, the Smetana Hall Prague, the Cadogan Hall London, the NOSPR Hall Katowice, the Liederhalle Stuttgart, the Victoria Hall Geneva, the Teatro Soziale Bergamo, the Usher Hall Edinburgh, the Kurhaus Wiesbaden, the National Concert Hall Dublin the Palazzo Ducale Mantova, the Burghof Lörrach, im Gran Teatro Geox Padua, the Bridgewater Hall Manchester, the festival halls of Baden-Baden and Bregenz, the Teatro Grande Brescia, the Town Hall Birmingham and the Palau de la Música València.

He regularly gives masterclasses in Austria and Switzerland. As a mentor he teaches the interns of the Basel Symphony Orchestra. Payam Taghadossi gets frequently invited by the University of Music FHNW Basel as an examiner.

He currently plays a G.B Gabrielli cello, built in Florence, from the year 1760.