Josh Mountford is a highly accomplished and versatile British cellist. His musical journey began at a young age through youth orchestras including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the CBSO Youth Orchestra performing as Principal Cellist.
Josh has since performed with esteemed professional orchestras such as the CBSO, NSO, Orpheus Sinfonia and is a proud member of the trailblazing Paraorchestra, where he often appears as Principal Cellist. He has also worked with the Manchester Camerata in 2022 as part of their PES, an opportunity that enriched his orchestral craft during his time studying in Manchester.
Josh holds a Master of Arts in Performance from the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), graduating with Distinction in 2024 under the tutelage of Professor Jo Cole. Prior to this, he studied with Professor Hannah Roberts at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), graduating with a First Class Honours BMus in 2022. Before RNCM, Josh’s school education was at Chetham’s School of Music, where he was a student of Nicholas Jones.
A dedicated chamber musician, Josh is a founding member of the Petford Ensemble, active since 2019 and performing regularly across the UK and Europe for weddings, corporate events, and recital engagements. He is also a member of the award-winning Bauhaus Piano Trio, recipients of the RNCM Nossek Prize (2022). In 2023, Josh returned to Chetham’s to lead an intensive side-by-side project with the Riedl Quartet, culminating in a performance at the Carol Nash Recital Hall.
Josh has performed at many of the UK’s most prestigious venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and Sage Gateshead, as well as internationally at Berlin’s Konzerthaus.
His versatility extends beyond classical performance: Josh plays electric cello and keyboard for the Forever Elton tribute band, touring extensively across the UK and Europe. He is also active as a session musician, contributing to a variety of film and television projects; The Chocolate Club (2025), Beneath the Silence, The Sun Also Rises (2022), Breakdown (2016), Vendetta (2014). See IMDB
In April 2024, Josh was proud to perform the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Gorton Philharmonic in Manchester.
Josh has played in masterclasses for many renowned cellists, including Steve Doane, Bruno Delepelaire, Robert Cohen, Sung-Won Yang, Miklós Perényi, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
His achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Shirley Catterall Award (2022), Guilhermina Development Award, James Langley Memorial Trust Award, and a Postgraduate Award from Help Musicians UK in 2022/2023 as well as 2023/2024 whose support he gratefully acknowledges.
Josh currently performs on a Robin Aitchison Montagnana-model cello, supported by several generous awards towards its acquisition. He is also a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM).