Cellist David Watkin (1965 – 2025), was a hugely respected musician and a much-loved colleague and friend who we will miss greatly.
It was an immense privilege to work with David for so many years.
David’s unique sound and superb playing were immediately evident to me when I heard him rehearsing the aria ‘It is enough’ from Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Bryn Terfel in 1996, for an OAE performance at the Edinburgh Festival. I marvelled at his approach : how he dared to start the solo with a 4th finger descending shift, without breaking any of the original slurs, while floating the up bows in diminuendo. Wow! I had the utmost respect for all of that, but I thought he might not be quite so purist in the concert, perhaps needing more volume to fill the Usher Hall? Well of course he didn’t bottle out ‘on the night’ (nor on the recording ‘red light’), but always shaped the phrase beautifully, using 19th Century fingerings and exemplary breath control to serve the score with great eloquence. Such an ideal combination of scholarship and instrumental finesse.
Rehearsals with David were never about practising the notes – that was ‘personal hygiene, to be done in private’ – but instead were all about trust and blend, more like a Zen masterclass in fact. He encouraged concepts like ‘playing another cello by thought transference’ or ‘passing notes around seamlessly while seated in a circle’ in order to bond as a team and find our collective sound. Laser intonation and posh bow speed were de rigueur, while not committing a deadly sin such as ‘fishing for the beat’ in syncopations, allowing the open strings to ring on into the wrong harmony, or worst of all ‘hitting the resolution’ in a cadence. It was pretty niche, nuanced and demanding stuff, but I personally adored learning how his musical mind worked while being privy to his artistry in practice. He shared his natural gifts, philosophies and latest favourite ‘mantras’ with such generosity and warmth, as well as plenty of daftness and bonhomie.
David was first diagnosed with the condition scleroderma in late 2013, having noticed a stiffness and swelling in his fingers that autumn. Miraculously, he managed to complete his award-winning recording of the Bach Suites for Solo Cello by Christmas (on Resonus Classics) just before he had to quit playing. Despite all the difficulties and uncertainties of his illness, David was incredibly brave and positive, seeing it somewhat fatefully as leading him down an exciting new path towards conducting.
...his spirit will surely live on through his legacy of recordings and inspirational teaching.
He became Head of Strings then Chair of Chamber Music at Royal Conservatoire Scotland and set up his ‘Continuo Clinic’ in Edinburgh as well as leading numerous international workshops and performances, thereby influencing future generations of musicians. He was a fantastic teacher and communicator whose passionate approach combined vast practical experience with scholarship and a great sense of humour.
His health issues became extremely serious earlier this year, yet most of us were unprepared for this shattering news. Our thoughts are with his family and his many other colleagues and friends as we mourn him, yet his spirit will surely live on through his legacy of recordings and inspirational teaching.
Bless you David and Amen.
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Our Story
David Miller: In memoriam
Friday 6 June 2025
