“Thought provoking…sheds new light on this work by drawing out expressive elements only hinted at in harpsichord or modern piano performance.” (J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations arr. Sitkovetsky)

           Strad Magazine 

"...his lucious tone and technical prowess marks him as a musician of real stature."

          Vancouver Sun

“Cellist Ariel Barnes, gave the night’s most mesmerizing musical experience… The epic nature of this composition was expressed ideally by Ariel’s dazzling technique and personal connection.”

           The Live Music Report, Toronto, Canada

“…adventurous and dramatic cello playing.”

The Whole Note

“…played passiontely by Ariel Barnes…”

           BBC Music Magazine

“…the ability to reach deep into his listeners’ souls…”

           Music On Main

"Truly an inspiring Artist...it's always an event when he performs. (Ariel Barnes) is the outstanding Canadian Cellist of his generation."

           Grammy and Juno Award Winning Maestro Bramwell Tovey

Cello ~ Ariel Barnes

Described as creating a “mesmerizing musical experience” by combining his “deep personal connection” (Toronto Live Music Report), “luscious tone and technical prowess”(The Vancouver Sun), Ariel Barnes has been hailed as “truly an inspiring artist…the outstanding Canadian Cellist of his generation” (Maestro Bramwell Tovey). His international concert engagements in Europe, North America and Asia include concerto appearances, chamber music collaborations and solo recitals, featuring performances in such world renowned concert halls as Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, Canada’s Orpheum Theatre, Germany’s Meistersingerhalle, Smetana Hall in Prague, the Tisch Auditorium in New York City and Budapest’s Hungarian House for Music.  As a celebrated performer and recording artist, he is broadcast on platforms including CBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, Hessischer Radio and Bavarian Radio & Television. His solo appearances include collaborations with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, INSO Lviv Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony, Nuernberger Symphoniker, Canadian Chamber Choir, Festival de Febrero Chamber Orchestra, Cantus Ensemble and Turning Point Ensemble with conductors Bramwell Tovey, Yoav Talmi, Mateausz Molęda, Anne Manson, Earl Stafford, Steven Mercurio, Evan Mitchell, Pierre Simard, Tania Miller, Rosemary Thompson, Lutz Köhler, Owen Underhill, Julia Davids, and Alexander Zemtsov. With a passion for creating 21st Century Art Music he is consistently involved in working with composers and ensembles to develop new literature for the cello as a solo and chamber music instrument, currently having 6 Concerti and 11 Solo and Chamber works written especially for him.  Mr. Barnes was awarded 1st Prize at the 24th International Johannes Brahms Competition, is a recipient of two Western Canadian Music Awards, a Juno nomination, the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award @ the University of Toronto and has received generous project support from the British Columbia Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, most notably as a winner of the 2012 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank Competition. He is former Principal Cellist with the Vancouver Opera Company, CBC Radio Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and is currently Principal Cellist of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, a member of Ensemble Kontraste, the Giocoso String Quartet and one half of cello/harp duo COULOIR.

At the core of his nourishment as an artist are his chamber music projects and collaborations. Dedicated to this genre for over 20 years now, his partners have included the Zodiac Trio, Dover String Quartet, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Musica Intima, members of the Attacca String Quartet, Manhattan Chamber Players, Australian String Quartet, Ensemble Made in Canada, the Formosa String Quartet, and many individual artists including Lars Vogt, Jane Coop, Arthur Rowe, Sarah Davis Beuchner, Francine Kay, Pawel Kolesnikov, Mahan Esfahani, Sarah Hagen, Lara St. John, Soyoung Yoon, Bogdan Božović, Mark Fewer, Martin Chalifour, Benjamin Bowman, Jonathan Crowe, Andrew Wan, Anna Rezsniak-Vogt, Sebastian Casleanu, Pawel Zalejski, fSteven Dann, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Francis Kefford, Teng Li, Carrie Dennis, David Harding, Rosalind Ventris, Julian Arp, Lorna McGee, Susan Hoeppner, Sergio Pallottelli, Daniel Bolshoy and new music luminaries such as Steven Schick and Caroline Shaw.  He has enjoyed repeat appearances at the Saronic Chamber Music Festival (Greece) Ottawa Chamberfest (Canada), Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada), Victoria Summer Music Festival (Canada), The Zodiac Music Festival and Academy (France), and is proud to be a founding member and regular guest of the Northern Lights Festival de Febrero (Mexico). Harpist Heidi Krutzen and Ariel Barnes form COULOIR, a cello/harp duo dedicated to developing a body of 21st Century Art Music for this colourful and evocative combination of instruments. COULOIR was awarded the honour of "2016 Artist of the Year" at the Western Canadian Music Awards for the release of their second recording, MAXWELL, MUHLY & COULOIR (www.couloirduo.com).

As a dedicated teacher, Mr. Barnes has fostered the talents of many cellists, aiding them in garnering prizes and recognition at the Busan Maru (Korea), Johansen (USA), Stulberg (USA) and Sheen (CAN) competitions and helping them continue their studies at some of the World’s finest music schools including the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, the Hans Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal and the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Barnes is the former co-head of the cello department at the Vancouver Academy of Music and as a visiting artist has taught masterclasses at the University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, Brandon University and Penn State University. Mr. Barnes currently teaches a private class of students in Nuremberg, Germany.

Nourished by his experience in all major genres of performance and pedagogy, Ariel’s natural musicianship is recognised in his collaboration with musicians throughout the world.