« 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. Curious, generous, attentive, and brilliant, he shares his music with great detail, joyfully carried away by his passion. » (Musiq’3)

Pierre Fontenelle, former cello-soloist of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège and Namurois of the Year 2020, is a young rising star of the Belgian classical music scene. 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 “Van Hecke” at the 1st BCS International Cello Competition and won the First Prize and the Feldbusch Prize at the Concours International Edmond Baert (2019). 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.

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Pierre Fontenelle has performed in several prestigious venues and festivals in Belgium and abroad (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, Musique Royale des Guides...). 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). He collaborates with artists such as Jodie Devos, Gergely Madaras, Christophe Rousset, Philippe Graffin, Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, Gwendoline Blondeel and Mathieu Herzog.

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

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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 and appreciates the finer things in life like beautiful socks.