Tim Smedley is a cello tutor at Chetham’s School of Music. He was a former Chetham’s student where he studied with Peter Worrall. Tim continued to study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts.
Tim has performed internationally on both modern and period instruments with many leading orchestras and ensembles. He frequently plays as principal cellist with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and has also played as principal with Manchester Camerata and Northern Ballet in addition to working with orchestras such as Hallé, Opera North, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. On period instruments, he has appeared frequently with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Arcangelo and the Academy of Ancient Music. He been part of award-winning recordings with ensembles such as Arcangelo, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Gabrieli Consort, The King’s Consort and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and as a soloist, Tim has recorded works for cello and piano by Nicholas Marshall and Christopher Wright.
Tim is Head of Chamber Music and a tutor in Cello at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and also teaches cello at the University of Sheffield, having previously taught at Junior RNCM, Yorkshire Young Musicians and the University of York. He has given masterclasses at a variety of institutions, including most recently at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (Guangzhou) and Xiamen University.
As a teacher, Tim believes in developing a cohesive technical understanding of playing the cello combined with a broad understanding of the music in order to give students the confidence to grow fully and confidently as musicians. Several of his former students are now working as professional musicians, having gained places and scholarships at conservatoires across the United Kingdom.
