Biography
Canadian Juno award winning cellist Amanda Forsyth is considered among her peers and critics alike to be one of the most dynamic cellists on the concert stage today. Describing a recent performance, California’s Ventura County Star raves: “In Forsyth’s hands, it was sheer magic.” She has achieved an international reputation as a premiere soloist and chamber musician and previously enthralled audiences as the principal cellist of both The Calgary Philharmonic and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestras. Her intense richness of tone, exceptional musicality and passion are reminiscent of cellists of a former age. She captivates audiences with every phrase.
Ms. Forsyth has been soloist on international tours with: The Royal Philharmonic; English Chamber Orchestra; Seoul Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras. Among others, she has appeared abroad with: Orchestra Radio de France; Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Orchestra; Calgary Philharmonic; Toronto Symphony; National Arts Centre Orchestra; Vancouver Symphony; Luxembourg Philharmonic; Gyeonggi Philharmonic; Teatro San Carlo and Seoul Philharmonic. With multiple tours in Australia, she has performed with the Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Symphonies. In the U.S., she has performed with: The Chicago Symphony; Washington National Symphony; San Diego Symphony; Colorado Symphony; San Antonio Symphony; Madison Symphony; Oregon Symphony; New West Symphony; Grand Rapids Symphony and Dallas Symphony. She has appeared on tour and in St Petersburg numerous times with the Marinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. Her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut was conducted by Zubin Mehta and Ms. Forsyth made her Carnegie Hall debut with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a founding member of the Zukerman ChamberPlayers, Amanda Forsyth has performed in: Germany; Israel; Finland; Holland; Switzerland; New Zealand; and Turkey and cities such as: London; Vienna; Paris; Budapest; Belgrade; Sofia; Bucharest; Dubrovnik; Warsaw Moscow and Barcelona. As Cellist of the Zukerman Trio, she has played on six continents and participated in prestigious Music Festivals such as: Edinburgh Festival; Miyazaki Festival; Verbier Festival; BBC Proms; Tanglewood; Ravinia; Spring Festival of St. Petersburg; White Nights Festival; La Jolla SummerFest and Aspen. Her current season includes engagements with: Chamber Music Sedona; The 92nd Street Y in New York; Detroit Chamber Music Society; Music Institute of Chicago; Savannah Music Festival; Verbier Festival and Tsinandalli Festival.
She started her 2019-2020 season with the cello concerto, “Electra Rising”, written by her father, Malcolm Forsyth. Ms. Forsyth brings Avner Dorman’s Double Concerto written for her and violinist Pinchas Zukerman to Ottawa with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and to Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic, having previously performed the world premieres with Adelaide Symphony and Boston Symphonies. Additional engagements this season include performances with: Lincoln’s Symphony; Fort Wayne Philharmonic; IRIS Orchestra; Royal Philharmonic; Polish Symphony; Prague Philharmonic and the Dallas Symphony. A second USA tour as guest with The Jerusalem Quartet offering sextet repertoire with Pinchas Zukerman is booked throughout the USA.
Ms. Forsyth is a recording artist on the Sony Classics, Naxos, Altara, Fanfare, ProArte and CBC labels. Her recording of Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet with the Zukerman ChamberPlayers and Yefim Bronfman was released by Sony in 2008. Her most recent disc features the Brahms Double Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra released by Analekta Records.
Born in South Africa, Ms. Forsyth immigrated to Canada as a child and began playing cello at age three. She became a protege of William Pleeth in London and later completed her studies at The Juilliard School with Harvey Shapiro. Her instrument is a rare 1699 cello by Carlo Giuseppe Testore.
“…exquisite expressiveness that seemed to flow effortlessly from her hands and bow, Forsyth was a delight to listen to” —Ventura County Star
“This Double Concerto hits all the right buttons- it is unrestrained, powerful, and tsunami-like in delivery, while shimmering with sans pareil melodic lines.” —The Whole Note
“Ms. Forsyth was…setting the toe-tapping finale off with just the right tempo, lightness of touch, rich tone and elegant phrasing.” —Classical Source
“Amanda Forsyth brings passion and formidable technique as a cellist” —Limelight Magazine
“Forsyth is a bodacious performer — she doesn’t do ‘tentative’ — and it was glorious.” —Commercial Appeal Memphis
“She commands a darkly burnished sonority and formidable technique.” —South Florida Classical Review
