Samuel Niederhauser
Member of the orchestra since 2022
From an early age, Samuel’s talent and passion for music were evident.
At the age of six, after receiving his first cello, he could hardly be separated from it. He was taught by Matthias Walpen, Cliodhna Ni Aodain, and Rebecca Firth before beginning his Bachelor studies at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) with Thomas Grossenbacher in 2016, which he completed with distinction in 2020. He then continued his education at the Basel Music Academy, earning his Soloist Master’s degree under Thomas Demenga.
He gained further inspiration from attending masterclasses with renowned cellists such as Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, Louise Hopkins, Jens-Peter Maintz, and Troels Svane. In addition to winning numerous first prizes at national and international competitions, he received the Guy Fallot Prize at the Concours de Genève in 2021, became a laureate of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2022, and won third prize at the Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki in 2023.
His other accolades include the Göhner Music Prize of the Kiefer Hablitzel Foundation (2022), the Migros Culture Percentage Study Award (2020), first prize at the CIMA Competition Vienna (2019), the Acoustica Records Youth Award (2013), as well as performances at numerous festivals in Switzerland and abroad. Since 2007, he has regularly appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Basel Symphony Orchestra, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Biel-Solothurn Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie.
Since the 2022/23 season, Samuel has served as principal cellist of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.
