« No doubt, Pierre Fontenelle is cut from the same cloth as the greats: those who let nothing stand in their way, and never look down upon others’ talent, background, or musical perspective. » (Musiq’3)

Belgian-American cellist Pierre Fontenelle is a young rising star of the Belgian classical music scene, known for his audacious projects and versatile and consummate musicality.

Cello-soloist of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège until 2022, he has performed in several prestigious venues and festivals in Belgium and abroad (Flagey, Chapelle Reine Élisabeth, la Seine Musicale, Taipei National Concert Hall, Shanghaï Oriental Art Center, Festivals de Wallonie…) and has been invited as a soloist by various orchestras (Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Appassionato, Musique Militaire Grand-Ducale, Casco Phil, Musiques Nouvelles...).

1st Prize of the 2022 Breughel Competition, he also won the Public Prize and the Best Interpretation Prize. In October 2020, he received the 2nd Prize at the 1st BCS International Cello Competition and won the First Prize and the Feldbusch Prize at the Concours International Edmond Baert (2019).

Highlights of the 24/25 concert season include the release of his solo album Roots in January 2025, performances of concertos by Schumann, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Gulda, the premieres of two concertos by Belgian composer Apolline Jesupret as well as French composer Jean-François Jung and an artist residency with pianist Ninon Hannecart-Ségal at the Bibliothèque La Grange-Fleuret in Paris.

From 2019 to 2022, he had the pleasure of joining the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège as cello-soloist, becoming the youngest tenured musician of the orchestra. He has also appeared as guest first cellist of the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, and the Belgian National Orchestra. He collaborates with artists such as Jodie Devos, Florian Noack, Gergely Madaras, Christophe Rousset, Philippe Graffin, Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, Gwendoline Blondeel and Mathieu Herzog. Committed to all the various aspects of being a musician, classical or otherwise, Pierre composes and explores popular and contemporary music with his cello-accordion Duo Kiasma with accordionist Frin Wolter (1st Prize - Accordé’Opale Competition).

After his first “American Album” (works by Aaron Copland and John Adams) with Oxalys, released in April 2024 on Passacaille Records, Pierre released his first solo album “Roots”, in January 2025, on Cypres, paying tribute to contemporary American contemporary music.

He initially took up the cello as an autodidact in his hometown of Seattle before studying traditionally at the Conservatoire de Luxembourg, the IMEP (Namur) with Éric Chardon, specialising in Soviet music with Han Bin Yoon at the Mons Conservatory and finally in Paris with Anne Gastinel at the Académie Jaroussky. He currently teaches in Namur at his alma mater, the IMEP.

Pierre performs on a private loan of a 1690 Ruggieri cello, as well as a Nicolas-François Vuillaume cello from 1860, instrument made available by the King Baudouin Foundation thanks to the Léon Courtin-Marcelle Bouché’s Fund's gift and managed by Strings For Talent. Pierre is founder and artistic director of the Concerts des Dames at the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Vivier (Marche-les-Dames). He’s found great pleasure in reading and writing poetry.