Cellist Jay Campbell is internationally recognized as one of the most adventurous and compelling musicians of his generation. Equally at home in the masterworks of the classical repertoire and the most innovative music of today, he has earned acclaim for bringing exceptional curiosity, insight, and expressive depth to every performance. The New York Times has described his playing as “electrifying,” while the Washington Post has praised performances that are “gentle, poignant, and deeply moving.”

The only musician ever to receive two Avery Fisher Career Grants—first in 2016 as a solo artist and again in 2019 as a member of the JACK Quartet—Campbell has established an international career distinguished by groundbreaking collaborations and visionary programming. He made his concerto debut with the New York Philharmonic in 2013 and later served alongside conductor Alan Gilbert as artistic director for Ligeti Forward, a centerpiece of the Philharmonic’s Biennale at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A passionate advocate for new music, Campbell has collaborated with many of today’s leading composers, including John Luther Adams, Tyshawn Sorey, Catherine Lamb, and Marcos Balter. His close artistic partnership with John Zorn has produced acclaimed recordings including Hen to Pan and Azoth.

Highlights of recent seasons include appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and the Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado de Sao Paulo, as well as performances at the Lucerne Festival and Berlin Philharmonie.

Deeply committed to chamber music, Campbell is the cellist of the JACK Quartet, a member of the Junction Trio with violinist Stefan Jackiw and pianist Conrad Tao, and a core artist of the multidisciplinary collective AMOC. Through these diverse artistic pursuits, Campbell continues to expand the possibilities of the cello while championing the music of our time.