Ella van Poucke, born in Amsterdam (1994), has established herself as one of the leading cellists of her generation.
Praised for her musical integrity, flawless instrumental abilities as well as her performing presence and intensity, the Dutch cellist belongs to the top rank of today’s generation of cellists.
Ella made her debut at the Concertgebouw at just 10 years old, and since then, she has been performing in all the major halls of the Netherlands, in many top halls in Europe and in the U.S. and Asia.
As a soloist Ella has performed with leading orchestras such as the HR-Sinfonie Orchester, Brussels Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Phion orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Orchestre Della Toscana, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Havana Youth Orchestra, Varsovia Chamber Orchestra, Symfonie Orchestra of Vlaanderen, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra, Junge Sinfonie Berlin, Hamburger Camerata, Tongyeong Festival Orchestra and collaborated with artists as Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Sanderling, Karina Cannelakis among others.
Ella premiered a new cello concerto, which was written for her by the Finnish composer Uljas Pulkkis during the International Cello Biennale in Amsterdam.
The same work was brought in premiere in Germany at the Kronberg Festival, with members of the HR-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt.
She is the winner of the prestigious Premio Chigiana 2017, the first prize winner of the International Isang Yun cello competition 2015, the Grachtenfestival Prize, the Leopoldinum Award 2015, Prix Nicolas Firmenich Verbier 2013, Elisabeth Everts Award 2014, Prix Academie Maurice Ravel 2012, Dutch Musician of the Year 2012 and recipient of the special prize in “recognition of an outstanding performance at the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann 2014.
Ella regularly appears on Dutch Radio and Television and has performed for ARTE TV in Germany and France. She appeared in Germany's "Stars von Morgen" hosted by Rolando Villazon.
As a passionate chamber musician, Ella has performed with Andras Schiff, Gary Hoffman, Nobuko Imai, Tabea Zimmermann, Christian Tetzlaff, Viviane Hagner, Gidon Kremer, Colin Carr, Pavel Vernikov, Andreas Reiner, Vilde Frang, Simone Lamsma, Christiaan Bor, Philippe Graffin, Prazak quartet, Schumann quartett among others.
For many years she regularly performs in recital with pianist Jean-Claude vanden Eynden, Severin von Eckardstein, Ben Kim, and her brother Nicolas van Poucke.
Ella is a regular guest at numerous international festivals such as Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern, West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Krzyzowa Music, Schleswig Holstein Festival, Chigiana International Festival, Kaposfest Hungary, Internationaal Kamermuziek Festival Utrecht, Grachten Festival Amsterdam, Kronberg Festival, Cello Biennale Amsterdam and was invited three times to the Verbier Festival Academy.
As a Dutch 'Rising Star' Ella was invited to give two Carte Blanche concerts in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2013-14.
In the summer of 2017 she was Artist in Residence with the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands and in August 2018 Ella was Artist in Residence of the Grachtenfestival in Amsterdam.
In the season 2022-23 Ella was Artist in Residence at the "Vrijdag van Vredenburg" series in Utrecht, where she performed several times as a soloist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and in chamber music with her friends and inspirations including Gary Hoffman.
In 2019 Ella performed the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam together with her brother Nicolas among other venues.
In 2020 Ella released her debut album with Challenge Records, devoted to Schumann's works for cello, which was very well received worldwide. The Gramophone wrote: "This is an impressive album from a soloist whose performances I look forward to hearing more of in the future."
In addition to her busy performing career, Ella is deeply committed to teaching, in 2022 she was appointed cello professor at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
The year 2023 marked the 150th birthday of Sergei Rachmaninov for which Ella released an album as a tribute to his chamber music, with a main focus on the monumental sonata for cello and piano which she recorded with pianist Caspar Vos.
In 2024 Ella performed all six Bach suites in one evening in Amsterdam, a memorable concert met with widespread acclaim.
Another highlight from 2024 included Haydn D major cello concerto in the Concertgebouw with the Jenaer Philharmonie, a tour in China and masterclasses at several prestigious festivals worldwide.
Born into a family of musicians, Ella began playing the cello at the age of six. Entered the Royal Conservatory of The Hague at the age of 10 and later continued her studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Godfried Hoogeveen.
Fron 2009-2016 Ella studied with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy Masters in Germany.
Fron 2016-2019 she was an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels, where she studied with Gary Hoffman.
Ella plays on a 1620 Giovanni Paolo Maggini cello, kindly lent to her by an anonymous benefactor.